She's Having A Baby
by SaritaMalfoy22
Summary: Rose Malfoy must choose between the man that loves her, and one who she never thought would come back to haunt her. Little do they know that something stronger than love and darker than jealousy is looming over the horizon. COMPLETED! : Please R&R x
1. Prologue

The grate in the old cottage 'Encantador' flashed bright green as the Healer flooed from the room, lighting up the room which was usually cheery and light. The curtains were drawn and a young man stood on shaking legs in the centre of the room in front of a comfy-looking sofa, his platinum hair illuminated by the light. Scorpius Malfoy sat down very fast in a state of extreme shock. He stroked his clean-shaven chin thoughtfully for a while, staring into the hearth, which had resumed burning with magical fire, before he heard the click of a key turning in a lock.

He looked up from his tense position on the edge of the luxury chaise lounge at his beautiful young wife, Rose Malfoy. She shook the curly dark-red hair out of her eyes, stroked her swelled stomach lovingly and positively beamed at her 18 year old husband.

"God Scorpius, what's with the darkness, I hate to break it to you honey but we aren't vampires" She giggled, dropping shopping bags and keys on an oak table nearby. He said nothing, but looked up her with glistening blue-grey eyes and dropped his head into his hands. Rose's beautiful face fell. She picked her way through the usually spacious but slightly cluttered room and sat down beside the young Malfoy. He looked deep into her ocean-blue eyes and felt a tear sliding down his pearly cheek. Her long-lashed doe-eyes widened as she pushed a lock of auburn hair behind her ear.

"Scor, what's wrong?!" She asked anxiously, knowing her husband was too proud to cry over any little thing. She touched her warm hand on his and squeezed, making him look up at her. He surveyed her: the dark red-brown hair, cascading down her back, the worried blue, shining eyes, the flawless complexion and pouting cherry lips. She watched his wet steely (but somehow warm) eyes intently until he spoke up.

"Murphy the Healer just flooed from here from St. Mungos..." His voice was thick with strain and tears. Rose Malfoy (nee Weasley) waited for her young husband to explain further. He did not disappoint and opened his mouth and closed it a couple of times before murmuring in an anguished voice;

"He says I can't…" He tailed off, brushing half-heartedly at the tears pooling in his reluctant eyes.

"Can't what, honey?" She asked, already suspecting: Scorpius had been tested for fertility a few weeks ago. She gazed into his eyes, her own full of questions. His remained shocked and almost fearful, his eyes wide and wet.

"Can't have kids." He choked, breaking her intense gaze and inspecting his hands. As Rose watched, a tear fell onto it.

Rose Weasley mused this over for a split second before taking his warm hand in hers and placing it over the large bump on her stomach.

"What's this then?" She purred soothingly. Scorpius sank back into the sofa, the scarlet fire blazing merrily in front of them and dancing in Roses' eyes. She got up with difficulty, strode to the doorway and looked back at the troubled young man sat on the lounger.

"This baby will prove to you that you can have a family!" The redhead breathed softly before vanishing into the kitchen. The platinum-haired man looked up with watery eyes.

"I hope so" Scorpius Malfoy whispered under his breath.


	2. Old Betrayal

Rose Malfoy could still hear Scorpius' ragged breaths from the kitchen. She staggered to the kitchen sink and leant on it for support, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She steadied herself on the sideboard. She knew the baby she was carrying could not be Scorpius'. It was nothing to do with being unfaithful- she loved Scorpius, but they had only been together 3 months and only married for two, and she was 6 months pregnant already. There could be only one possible conclusion – the father had to be Scorpius' arch-rival, Dante Zabini, only son of Blaise Zabini.

_She squirmed at the though of this. Dante Zabini, with his Spanish charm, no woman could resist! But Dante had wanted Rose even more when she rejected him, and had practically stalked her until she let him take her out for a firewhisky. After their "Date" they had gone upstairs in the hotel he was staying at…Rose could picture him lying on his bed, whispering rapid Spanish in her ear…_

_And then, two mouths later, she was dating her childhood sweetheart again – Scorpius Malfoy, and she had a small bump that, fortunately she could cover up with loose and baggy clothes. She had informed Scorpius of her pregnancy three weeks after their wedding and had started wearing tighter clothes to show off her bump._

She remembered all this with the speed of her magnificent brain, inherited from her mother; the smartest witch to have graced Hogwarts, Rose liked to think.

She slammed out of her reverie as she heard Scorpius' ragged breathing subside into regular breaths, and heard him rise from the settee in the other room.

She pretended to pick up a plate and magically cleaned it, whilst humming false-cheerily as she saw Scorpius enter the spacious kitchen. He crossed the room and slipped his arms around her waist, and growing stomach and planted butterfly kisses up and down her neck.

Silent tears fell down her face, undetected by Scorpius. She often cried at night, when she knew her young husband could not see or hear her, and it was all because she wished that she had never even met Dante Zabini…


	3. Just Getting Worse

Rose and Scorpius Malfoy kept their distance from each other for a couple of days. However, both were for different reasons. Scorpius' was that Rose might think he was a lesser man because he couldn't conceive, Rose's because she though that if she looked into the breathtaking blue eyes for just a second, then Scorpius would know she was hiding something. Rose was still working hard at the Ministry of Magic as Undersecretary for the Minister, although she was heavily pregnant and despite Scorpius' pleas for her to take maternity leave. Scorpius himself had lost his job two weeks ago to his ex-best friend, Dante Zabini, Rose could still remember the fire burning behind his eyes as he stomped through the door …

_He apparated from outside the ministry to Hogsmeade, and started the short but tiring journey on foot up the steep mountainside to the small village of Newtsfoot, one of few all-wizarding villages, where he lived with his young bride, Rose. His scuffed his shoes on the sharp stones and finally reached the peak of the small mountain community. He walked down the high street past the many 18__th__ century thatched-roofed cottages until he saw the one last from the end named_ 'Encantador_'_. _He had pushed the stout door open and stormed inside. He had thrown himself on the sofa and ran his pale fingers through his hair. He had not noticed the discreetly pregnant redhead silently slink into the room, setting down the magical knitting needles aside; she had crept toward the sofa.  
"It didn't go well then" She murmured quietly. She tactfully pretended she did not see him jump slightly. He shook his head.  
"Dante Zabini, the slimy good-for-nothing." He hissed. Her heart skipped a beat.  
"What do you mean?" She asked a little too quickly, sitting down beside him. He had his head in his hands, but looked at her curiously._

"_You know what I mean, he's wanted my job for ages and now he's got it" He said bitterly. She sighed, slightly relieved. Her relief quickly turned to shock. _

"_He got your _job!?"_ She demanded, her disgust at Zabini evident in her eyes._

"_Yes, he pulled in more customers for his Self-Cleaning Kitchen Utensils" Scorpius spat. He and Dante had worked alongside each other at "Really Useful Household Aids for Witches" ever since they had left school, but he had taken Scorpius' idea and used it against him. When he explained this to Rose, her mouth fell open._

"_The conniving, evil, twisted little-" She started angrily._

"_I know" Scorpius said, defeated. He sat back in his chair, completely crushed…_

Both seemed to remember the incident at the same time. Scorpius flushed a dull pink at the look on Rose's face. She had been thinking of all the terrible ways Dante had tricked people in her life, and the glare on her face was not aimed at Scorpius. She snapped out of her daydream and her face softened.

"Dante Zabini always was inconveniently sharp." Scorpius mused, half to himself, but knowing they were thinking along the same lines. It was scary sometimes how connected they were, mind, soul and heart.

Roses face hardened again into a frown as she thought of Zabini. He had gone behind Scorpius' back and asked Rose to an end of year ball one time, even when he knew Scorpius was preparing to…

"_So Scorpy-Scorpius, who you planning on taking to the ball?" Dante asked curiously from his bed in the Slytherin dorm._

"_Well, I was going to ask Rose on Saturday" The 15 year old Malfoy boy said thoughtfully, throwing a rememberall up and down, catching it in one hand with ease._

_Dante Zabini seemed to be picturing her in his mind. A wicked smile crept onto his face. "Yeah" He said "She's hot with a capital everything" He was still smiling strangely at Scorpius as they walked down the stairs toward the Great Hall. Scorpius' own elated smile wavered slightly. They ate food in near silence, only discussing Quidditch. Rose smiled from the Gryffindor table at Dante, who flashed her his 'I want you' smile. Scorpius scowled at him, wondering what he was playing at, but decided a bit of healthy competition never did anyone any harm. He lifted his pale hand in greeting at Rose as well, smiling shyly. She smiled brilliantly at him, making his stomach do somersaults. She waved again and turned back around to her cousins and brother, continuing a heated discussion about owls. Scorpius waited until the plates were cleared before walking over to the Gryffindor table. He tapped Rose on the shoulder sheepishly and stepped back a little. She turned around.  
"Scorpius, Hi!" She said sincerely, standing up to hug him. He flushed and hugged her back, tighter. When he let go, he noticed she was slightly out of breath.  
"Ahh…Sorry Rosie!" He said, anxiously, holding her at arms length. She laughed indifferently.  
"No worries" She smiled. "Was there something that you wanted?" She asked, pulling him away from her interested cousins and brother._

"_Well, yes actually, could you meet me here at 10 tonight?" He asked awkwardly, blushing deeply. Her eyes narrowed._

"_Yeah, all right, why though?" She asked inquisitively. _

"_Just come, please Rosie?" He said, rubbing his neck nervously, his cheeks burning._

"_Of course, Okay" She agreed._

__**10 o' clock~**

_Scorpius padded down the stairs hurriedly. As he neared the bottom of the stairs, he stopped in the shadows to straighten his tie; he saw something that made his heart sink. Dante Zabini was pushing Rose Weasley up against a pillar of the Great Hall. One hand was leaning on the column and the other on his hip. He and Rose were deep in conversation, and Dante was advancing toward her, his eyebrows raised. She was scowling at him._

"_I've told you before, Dante, I don't want it to be like that between us!" She said, shoving him backwards. He looked shocked for a moment before regaining his dazzling smile.  
"Come on Rosie, You know you want to" He said "Just try it, no girl ever wants to go back once they've experienced Dante Zabini." He said smoothly._

"_But I'm waiting for Sco-" She started. He cut across her._

"_Forget about Scorpius for a bit, think about this." And with that, he leant down and kissed her full on the mouth. Rose squirmed for a moment before moaning deeply and pulling him closer by his school tie. Scorpius stood in shock, a bouquet of expensive flowers that he had ordered from Hogsmeade in his hand, and fully dressed in a suit. He dropped the flowers on the floor as he ran back upstairs completely numb from what he had just seen, and the betrayal. 10 minutes later, Rose walked back up the stairs she noticed the posy of flowers lying on the floor. She frowned a little and stooped to pick them up. There was a little note attached. It smelt faintly of the aftershave that Scorpius wore; the one she loved so much. She opened the mini note._

**Dear Posey, **

**Roses for my Rose, **

**Love Scorpius x x x**

_Rose Weasley looked up and remembered the dull thud on the stairs she thought she'd imagined. It must have been the flowers he dropped in shock. She pictured the image of him standing there in her brilliant mind and felt sick to her stomach, had he seen the kiss?..._

Scorpius woke up as if from a trance and felt the old heartache burn up inside him. He remembered the hot tears pricking at the back of his eyes that night and swallowed the pain. Rose was looking at him lovingly her eyes searching him. He smiled for what seemed like the first time in years, and moved forwards, enveloping Rose into a hug. When he released her, she was panting. He looked anxious.

"Sorry, I always do that!" He said, wide-eyed and fretful.

"You always_ did _hug too tight" She whispered, kissing him longingly. She stepped back and felt her stomach. Her oceanic eyes widened.

"Feel this, its kicking!" She squealed gleefully. Scorpius nearly tripped over in his haste to feel the baby throwing itself against her belly. They beamed at each other, and Scorpius pulled her into a gently, one-armed hug. Rose looked up at the happy young man at her side and he could not see the guilt behind her eyes as she looked down at the bump. The truth would come out in 3 months time... and it was going to break Scorpius' heart…


	4. The Dream

That night, Rose awoke in a cold sweat

That night, Rose awoke in a cold sweat. She rolled over, trying to remember the dream that had given her such a start. She felt Scorpius' hot breath on her neck and it still made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. She sat up stunned. She had just remembered the dream…

_She was lying in a hospital bed, with the curtains closed around her. She had sat up and noticed the Healer busy working with his back to her. She noticed her legs were bent at the knees and slightly splayed. She sat up and tried to recover her dignity. She tugged at the bedclothes, attracting the attention of the young Healer. He turned around and smiled. Dazzling white teeth against pale skin and deep green eyes; this Healer was handsome. He stopped smiling long enough to say; _

"_It's a boy, congratulations!" And with that he handed her the baby. She looked down into her cradled arms and saw the baby. It was wrapped in a bundle and she gently pulled the blankets from around its face. She jumped in surprise and horror. The baby had tanned skin and dark blue eyes: It was a mirror-image of Dante Zabini. She lay there, in absolute shock and silence, staring at the baby boy. It had a mop of black hair already and it was gazing up and her with the sky-blue eyes. She looked away, tears in her eyes, and saw Scorpius stood there, his grey eyes glittering and his mouth gaping…_

She jumped violently. She had fallen asleep trying to remember the dream, and had dreamt about it again! She couldn't get the image of the miniature Zabini out of her head, and she was breathless before she noticed that Scorpius was not only awake, but staring at her, a puzzled expression on his face.

"You alright, Rosie??" He asked quietly.

"Yeah, just a bad dream, why?" She replied, painting on a smile.

"Well, you're white as a sheet and you were yelling in your sleep" He stated. The little colour that was in her face, drained completely.  
"W-what was I saying?" She asked, trying to sound casual.

"Well, it _sounded_ like you were yelling NO, NO!...-" He tailed off awkwardly.

"Is that it?" She asked, slightly relieved.

"Well, it sounded like you said "Dante" actually" He sniffed, pulling the duvet around his bare chest. Rose winced at his name. She gave a high-pitched, tinkling laugh.

"Well, why would I say that?!" She demanded. He raised his eyebrows.

"I don't know, calm down, it was only a dream" He smiled, getting out of bed; he picked up his green silken robe and stumbled to the bathroom. Rose watched him go, rubbing her stomach unconsciously. Every day, her guilt was getting worse and worse and her head was spinning, before she knew it she was throwing up violently over the edge of her bed. Scorpius heard her and came rushing out of the bathroom, toothbrush in hand. He hurriedly crossed the room and pulled the hair out of her eyes as she wretched. Two minutes later, she wiped her mouth and Scorpius tied back her hair. She was sweating but he didn't care as her stroked the loose strands out of her face and tucked them behind her ear tenderly. She half-smiled before her face turning as she ran to the bathroom and started retching violently again and Scorpius rushed to her side again. He felt helpless as he patted her half-heartedly on the back. He scraped back her hair for a second time and tied it in a high ponytail. She finished as quickly as it had come and he lay her weak body down on the bed before lying beside her. She was drawing in sharp ragged breaths and her eyes were closed. He patted her weakly on the shoulder. Soon, both were asleep from exhaustion. Rose dreaming of Dante and Scorpius about Rose…


	5. Back to Work

Thank you for the great reviews, They nourish my inner writer

**Thank you for the great reviews, They nourish my inner writer . Hehe x **

**Here goes, enjoy …**

Rose awoke for the second time in Scorpius' arms and checked the time on the clock beside the bed. It read 8.37, and she sat up with difficulty, being careful of the bump. She crossed the room quietly so as not to wake her sleeping husband, and paused at the door to watch him. His flaxen hair was covering half his face and the sheets were tangled around his waist revealing his pale but athletic chest. She sighed and closed the bathroom door behind her. 10 minutes later she emerged from the en suite, her fiery hair dripping onto her shoulders, and a towel wrapped around her.

She collected her clothes and, being quiet as she could, dressed ready for work choosing a black pencil skirt and white polo neck top. She quickly swept her hair up, splashed some mascara and lipstick on, and left, leaving Scorpius a note.

It read:

**Morning Darling, thanks for earlier I really wasn't feeling great as you can tell!  
Your lunch is on the side and I'll be back at about 3.00 as usual.  
**

**Yours forever, Rose x **

She kissed the paper, leaving a small scarlet kiss mark, went downstairs, opened the door and locked it quickly by magic. She twirled on the spot and arrived at the front gates of the Ministry.

Meanwhile, at home, Scorpius had awoken to find Rose gone. He had panicked at first, before realising with a dull disappointment that it was a Monday. He had gotten out of bed, showered, dressed and gone out job-hunting for the seventh time, this time to the Department of Magical Law.

He was going to go and surprise Rose, so on his way he bought some red roses, with petals like velvet which reminded him of his and Roses' first night together….

_She was wearing a red silk dress. It matched her beautiful hair perfectly and brought out the green in her eyes, he mused to himself. After a night of dinner and dance, he was taking her back to his small mansion. They were going on foot half the way, before appararating, but they were, talking animatedly and laughing together like they had done as children. They reached the peak of a small hill, and Rose took Scorpius' arm in order to apparate. His heart skipped a beat and he looked deep into her eyes, noticing that they were eyeing him hungrily, and he twirled on the spot, arriving outside his Mansion. He let himself in and he carried her upstairs to the master bedroom where he lay her down on the rose-petal strewn bed. She looked up at him expectantly, her eyes blazing with fire and desire -…_

"Careful!" Yelled a young witch. He had barged into her by accident as his feet carried him the familiar route to the entrance to the Ministry.

"Sorry!" He shouted over his shoulder. He took the visitors entrance through the faux telephone box and continued through the Ministry toward the lift. He got in amongst a few other wizards and witches and they flew sideways towards Roses' department. The lift made a pleasant tinkly-bell sound and he stepped out into the Undersecretary's office.

"Minister please, I'm fit enough to work!"  
"Rose, with due respect my dear, your baby is due any day soon!" Kingsley Shaklebolt replied in despair. This girl was a total workaholic!

"Please Mr Shaklebolt! I can work at least three more days before the baby's due date!"

"No Rose" he replied simply "You've done enough amazing work for the Ministry, your baby, and Scorpius, need you to take some rest! Now, you're going to take 7 months paid leave, and if you refuse to take leave, then you can clear your desk, for good. Do you understand?" He said. His intentions were the kindest, she knew, she just didn't want to be sat at home being waited on hand and foot by Scorpius. Or by anybody else for that matter.

She nodded and left the room to collect her things.

Scorpius spotted Rose on the very line of the row of desks, using her wand to levitate all her things into a box. She didn't look happy at all, he thought.

He walked towards her nervously, the bunch of flowers hanging limply by his side.

"What's going on Rosie?" He asked, dreading the answer. She spun around.

"Hey Scor, I've been laid off, Mr Shaklebolt wants me to get rest and have a "happy and relaxed" birth without having to "worry about issues in the workplace" basically" She sighed.

Scorpius felt secretly relieved, he didn't particularly want his child born in the Ministry.

"Meaning?" He asked.

"Meaning, that either I clear out my things for 7 months paid leave, or I clear out my things – For good." She sighed.

He frowned; she really did love her job.

"Aw, sorry about that sweetie, do you want a lift home?" He offered.

"Haven't you got an interview?" She remembered.

"Yeah, but if you need taking home then it really is no skin off my back" He said truthfully.

Law wasn't really his thing.

"I see" She responded quietly. "You'd rather work in the Department of Magical Sports wouldn't you?" She assumed shrewdly, still waving her wand in complicated twists around her desk area.

He laughed.

"You officially know my mind better than I do!" He declared still chuckling.

He drew her in for a tight hug. She smiled up at him.

"Good, because someone's got to" She tittered, pulling out of the hug and grabbing the small box.

"I can see if there are any openings in the sport department, if you really want it" She said smiling at him.

"That would be great babe" He said beaming, and taking the box out of her hands.

"Go and cancel the interview then" She responded, taking the box back and walking out of the office, waiting for him to follow.

He trailed behind her. She locked the door behind them both. She stood on tiptoes to kiss him, waved goodbye over her shoulder and left to find the main desk, so she could obtain some floo powder and go home.

Scorpius watched his beautiful young wife set off in the other direction, and sighed.


	6. Realisation

**Sorry for the late update – I had an ****awful ****amount of coursework :(**

Scorpius walked back down the Ministry corridors. He had just cancelled his job interview and was on his way back to the front gates. He turned a corner, thinking of Rose, and stepped into a lift.

It made a pleasant "ding" sound and the empty (apart from Scorpius) sped downwards diagonally. He had not realised it had gone too far until the doors opened and he saw what he recognised to be the Department Of Mysteries. The walls, floors and ceilings were constructed from pure black marble, and were as shiny as mirrors. He stepped out, and as he did so, he heard familiar voices.

"Get off_, Zabini_!" Rose hissed.

"No, _Malfoy_ !" He heard Dante spit back.

Their voices echoed weirdly around the rooms and came out much louder than the whispers that they were.

"What is your _problem_?!" He heard a bossy young witch ask.

"Scorpius is! Why haven't you told him?!" Dante hissed urgently.

"It doesn't concern him! It's in the past! It won't matter!" Rose screeched as Dante dug his fingers into her delicate wrist.

Scorpius was jogging around corner after corner, trying to find the source of the voices. They became louder and they were loudest when he was behind a corner that looked much like any of the others. He could see the reflection in one of the glassy walls, of Rose and Dante, her struggling wrist caught in his strong hand.

Anger boiled inside him – How dare he touch Rose!?

He was about to turn around the next corner and hex Dante into infinity, when he heard him speak.

"Of course it concerns him! The baby…. The baby is _mine_, and you know it! You know Scorpius is shooting blanks as well as I do!" He said. His voice shook and broke.

"The baby is _not _yours!" Rose hissed back lamely. "It _can't_ be!" She almost whined, still struggling against his grip. Scorpius' heart seemed to stoop beating, his eyesight became misted, and time seemed to slow down.

"You know Scorpius is shooting blanks as well as I do!" The words were repeating in his head over and over.

His eyes were stinging as he thought of his wife, his beautiful wife, with Dante Zabini. The child, the child he believed foolishly to be his own, was Dante's. He should have listened to the Healer, he thought grimly, realisation crashing around him.

He looked back in the reflection of them, and saw Dante moving closer to her. Jealousy was building up inside him, powerful enough to light a city, he thought numbly, as he watched helplessly, unable to do anything else.

"Come back to me, Rosie, we could be a family, you me and our baby! I _love_ you!" He breathed.

And in one fluid movement, Scorpius saw him advance on the now silent Rose. He gave her enough time to back away from him, or spurn his advances.

"Push him back, Rose! Push him away**, **_**please**_Rose!" Scorpius willed silently, but she seemed to have let her mind drop out. Dante was moving closer and closer, and Rose was watching him apprehensively.

They were close enough to kiss now, and Dante opened his mouth and tilted his head to the side slightly, as their lips locked. Rose felt Dante's tongue slip into her mouth, drawing out a low, feral moan which made his heart ache with desire. Scorpius rounded the corner, and if the pair was to open their eyes, they could have seen him standing there, in complete silence, his heart breaking and silently screaming in agony like he'd never felt before. Dante's hand was buried in her reddish-brown hair and his lips were assaulting her cherry-red ones.

Scorpius couldn't take anymore, and he rounded the corner again, leaning against it Tears were falling effortlessly down his pale cheeks thick and fast, and his heart was breaking into tiny pieces as he heard a small uproar behind the corner.

He looked through his streaming eyes in the reflection.

Rose had her hands in her own hair, her mouth agape, tears falling down her cheeks as well. Scorpius had seen enough. He didn't want to see them kissing, or worse, anymore, and he jogged, practically ran, back to the lift.

"What have I done!! What have I _done_" Rose screamed through the corridors, her agonised voice reverberating off the marble walls.

Scorpius' heart tore to hear her like that, but he ignored his feelings as he got into the lift. It shot upwards and he got out, ignoring also the people pointing at his tear-stained face.

He ran to the nearest fireplace and shouted "Ecantador!" into the fire.

He landed in his own hearth less than a moment later, and threw himself into one of the chaise chairs, his flaxen-haired head in his pale hands and his heartbreaking, renewed sobs echoing around the empty house.

He stood up after a moment, fire blazing in his glistening eyes.

This was not going to happen, He was a Malfoy, and there was going to be a_**reckoning…**_

**To be continued…**

**Tell me what you think – Constructive criticism welcome!!**

**Just push the purple button and make my day!!**

**Next chapter will be Scorpius confronting Rose & Dante :) **

**Love, Sarita x**


	7. Confrontation

**Thanks for the reviews, but this story just doesn't have enough publicity ;( Oh well, I'll keep writing it just for you guys ;) I use a couple of song lyrics here, just review if you want to know what they are ******** x**

_My eyes began to swell,_

_And all my dreams were shattered all at once._

Scorpius wiped the tears from his pink cheeks. His heart was broken, but he was going to sort this out even if it took every ounce of strength, dignity and love for Rose that he had left.

He paced the room thoughtfully for a couple of moments, sniffing subconsciously every few minutes to keep back the tears that yearned to break free from the restraints of his pride and spill down his face once more.

He rubbed his chin and drew his wand.

He waved it once through the air smoothly and summoned his wife, whose face was also smeared with tears. Her head was in her hands as she sobbed unashamedly into her fingers. She seemed not to realise she had changed location until her head flipped up suddenly, her mouth open.

"What will Scorp- _Scorpius?! _What the _hell _am I doing _here?" _She practically screamed, her head twisting this way and that, her eyes blinking in the light of the cottage.

"You live here, remember me? I'm your _husband, _understand? _H-U-S-B-A-N-D_!"

Scorpius replied, looking at her, watery blue eyes met watering steely ones.

"Scorpius…. Don't be stupid – w-what are you talking about?" Rose asked her eyes darting up to his face and then back to the floor.

"Don't insult my intelligence, _Rosie_" He spat bitterly.

"I have no idea what you're -"She began to mumble, but Scorpius held up his hands to silence her.

"Fine, you won't tell me what's going on, I'll just get my best pal _Zabini _to tell me shall I?!" He spat Dante's name out resentfully, almost jealously.

Rose's eyes widened fretfully, she dropped to her knees, and he had to restrain himself physically from rushing to her side to help her up, her sobs echoed through the house as Scorpius brought his wand through the air a second time, this time summoning Dante Zabini.

He stood there for a second, completely bemused. He looked around for a second, saw the hatred in Scorpius' eyes and heard Roses' sobs from the floor; he rushed to her side, kneeling next to her.

Scorpius' heart ached to be next to her as well, for none of this to have happened and for Zabini to be somewhere, _anywhere _but here.

"What have you done to her, you prick!?" Zabini shouted, helping a gasping Rose from the floor, she shook away his hand from hers, a wave of triumph spread through Scorpius.

Rose glared at Dante, he came back to stand in front of Scorpius, his head hanging.

Rose walked towards Scorpius, her hands outstretched.

She drew close enough to him to touch his arm, he threw her hand off and held his hand above his head, Rose cowered as she saw what he was about to do.

Scorpius came back to his senses and lowered his hand.

No matter how bad things got, he would never raise a hand to Rose.

*

There were a few moments of awkward silence.

"L-let's all just sit down shall w-we?" Rose stammered. "Sit _down _Scorpius" she added.

They all dropped backwards into chairs. Scorpius and Dante sat facing each other across the table, glaring into each others eyes. Rose shuffled her chair closer to Scorpius, between the two of them, just in case.

Rose glanced nervously between them, the hatred in both men's eyes was painfully apparent as they glared at each other, she half expected fisticuffs at sunrise or something.

"What am I here for, Malfoy?" Dante asked finally, inspecting the back of his hand so as not to look at Scorpius.

"Don't play dumb, you know full well what you're here for you stupid little weasel!" Scorpius replied, firing up, his hands clenched into fists and he stood up.

He felt Roses hand on his, but he ignored it, getting angrier every second.

"WHAT THE HELL GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO HAVE YOUR FILTHY HANDS ALL OVER MY WOMAN!?" He roared across the room. Dante stood up as well, hands too clamped into fists.

"YOU DON'T DESERVE HER, YOU STUPID BASTARD SHE DOESN'T LOVE YOU!" Dante bellowed.

_And it hurts me more than you know,_

_So much more than it shows._

Rose opened her mouth to scream a protest, but there was a loud bang as the table disappeared, Scorpius stepped forward, and he and Dante were nose to nose, glaring at each other.

"What did you say?" Scorpius asked dangerously, almost daringly.

"I said, Rose doesn't love you, otherwise she wouldn't have snogged me and jumped into bed with me in seventh year, would she!" Dante retorted, a smirk appearing across his perfect face. Scorpius had had enough; he raised a powerful forearm and smacked Dante right in the teeth, sending him flying. He landed on the floor, unmoving a couple of feet away.

"Scorpius…_No!" _Rose shrieked, rushing forward to Dante's side. His eyes were tightly shut, and blood was dripping from his mouth. She waved her wand, levitating him into the spare room and into the bed. Scorpius watched as she drew the curtains and locked the door, locking Dante out of sight (and reach) of Scorpius. She then returned to his side, looking up at him, tears spilling once more down her face. He reached out to wipe them away, but stopped suddenly and threw himself into a chair, his head in his hands.

She took a seat next to him, watching him and sniffing every couple of seconds.

"Did you see it?" She asked.

"Yes." He replied, his voice thick with the tears that she knew he was trying to hold back. She shuffled closer to him, and he didn't push her away for once.

In one fluid movement, she was holding him in her arms, hugging him tightly to her warm body, and he was crying like she had never seen him cry before.

It was a heart-wrenching sound, one that echoed through the silent house, of a man who had had his heart ripped out by his worst enemy and wife in one night. They cried together, his tears falling in her hair.

_There's so many things you should have told her, _

_But night after night, you're willing to hold her, just hold her,_

_Tears on your shoulder…_

Questions burned in his mind, his head raced, and they must have been sat there for at least half an hour, before she sat up, her tearstained face full of fear. She looked in his red and watery eyes, and fresh tears formed in both their eyes at the sight of each other.

"I don't know why I did it; he was just coming towards me and I just froze, I didn't know what to do I just … went with it" She admitted, looking into his eyes, which were wide and miserable.

"I know I _was_ there" He reminded her, looking away and sniffing.

"But the baby is yours, I have never done anything else with him while we've been together" She said honestly and defiantly. He forced himself to look back at her, and he believed her, like he always did, and he wasn't guilty for trusting her. Her eyes once more welled with tears.

_I'm tired of words and I'm too hoarse to shout,_

_But you've been cold to me so long,_

_I'm crying icicles instead of tears,_

He wiped them out of her eyes.

"Did you shag him in seventh year?" He asked quietly.

Her face said it all.

"But when me and you finally got together at the end of seventh year, after, like, 10 years of friendship, you told me you were a… you know..."He stated, wounded.

She nodded silently.

"I wanted to forget about it, and be with you, and only you, forever"

_Ill stand by you  
Take me in, into your darkest hour  
And Ill never desert you  
Ill stand by you__._

Scorpius managed a small smile, yet there was still a small niggling doubt at the back of his mind. He knew that Rose loved him, and he sure as hell knew he loved her back, but he wasn't convinced the baby was his.

He didn't press the matter, because he still had a few precious moments of peace with the woman he loved before _he_ woke up.

Then he was going to pay for so much as _looking _at Rose.

**To be continued (once again) lol**

**Then next chapter will be more of this kind of thing, except Rose is a bigger part of it, but I don't want to tell you too much! Hehe, REVIEW! :P  
Xx.**


	8. Heart To Heart, Fist To Face

**Hello, I'm soo sorry for keeping you waiting, vair vair busy here atm :/**

**Anyway, here you are, please R&R :)**

**Warnings: Mild sexual references, Moderate violence :)**

**Heart to Heart and Fist to Face**

Rose woke up suddenly from one of her recurring nightmares. She had dreamt that she was telepathic and was reading her husband's mind. She pulled the quilt around her and realised Scorpius wasn't beside her - there was a space where he should be lying and it was empty. She slowly got out of bed, pushing her cold feet into her fluffy slippers and padded across the landing. She passed the spare room where Zabini was sleeping soundly and soundlessly descended the stairs. She walked into the kitchen and saw Scorpius asleep, his head in his hands and tear-tracks evident on his pale face. He was mumbling in his sleep and Rose walked towards him, trying to decipher the incoherent rant.

"Rose ….Please don't….. Don't kiss him please Rosie" He pleaded in his sleep, his handsome face contorted in anguish. Rose felt fresh tears spilling down her face once more and she sat beside her husband, laying a soft hand on his as she did so.

His head flipped up and he rubbed his eyes. Turning to Rose he looked around in mild confusion.

"Where am I, what's going on?" He asked groggily before noticing her tear-stained face.

"What is it Rosie?" He asked, becoming more alert. He attempted to stand up, but she rested an arm on his more forcefully and he sat back down again, looking at her with concern.

"Scorpius, I'm so sorry" She sobbed, she hadn't stopped apologizing since the night before. She felt his arm tense beneath hers and his stomach did the familiar somersaults it used to do when they were younger.

"I love you Rose, and I'm going to try and forgive you" He said, not knowing if the last part was entirely possible. Rose didn't smile like she usually did.

"Scorpius, don't pretend you aren't hurting, talk to me please!" She begged. He faltered and rubbed his eyes again wearily. He did not want to open wounds that were barely healing again as he didn't feel like crying again and he knew he would, because the woman he loved might not be attracted to him anymore.

"Rose, I can't lie to you, I'm absolutely heartbroken, but I still love you with all the pieces" He stated simply. Rose squeezed his hand.

"I love you too Scorpius, more than anything else in this world, and I always will" She started, his heart was doing back flips – she still loved him!

"But I don't want to hurt you, you have every right to hit me, to chuck me out, to file for divorce, or never want to see me again!" She said tears spilling from her cheeks.

Scorpius felt tears appearing at the back of his eyes and his sight misted over slightly.

"I could never hit you, your home is here with me and I will never want to divorce you! But, is the baby his, or mine? Be honest Rose please" He asked, a solitary tear dripping down his face.

He squeezed both her hands with his and looked into her eyes.

"Scorpius, I am not going to lie to you. I'm eight months pregnant and school ended less than a year ago. I slept with Dante near the end of term – the dates add up." She stated regretfully, her cheeks paling and more tears running down her face.

"But" She said as an afterthought "I slept with you the night we left school. So it's a 50-50 chance" She said crying almost hysterically. Scorpius cried with her and his heart lamented over this new piece of information. He shoved the chair aside and picked her up, plopping her on the table where he sat next to her and held her tightly to him. She felt his heartbeat next to hers, beating in time.

"_His broken heartbeat, thanks to me"_ She thought wretchedly. Their tears were falling in unison in her auburn hair as they just sat, contemplating the day ahead.

They held each other throughout the night and fell asleep literally in each other's arms. Tomorrow would be better, tomorrow would bring new answers were Scorpius' last thoughts before falling into a deep slumber.

*

Rose sat at the table where she and her husband had slept the night before. Scorpius was sat opposite Dante who was eyeing him warily through one black eye. Scorpius scowled. Rose sat in the middle between them and her eyes darted back and forth.

She was holding Scorpius' hand under the table and she squeezed it whenever Dante said anything vindictive. This was happening a lot at that very moment in time.

"…well, she was very quick to jump into bed with me wasn't she? She was right to though, why settle for some impotent Malfoy when she could have me?!" Dante hissed callously. She felt Scorpius' hand tighten and she squeezed it, sensing he was about to do something violent.

"Look who she married then, eh Zabini? If she thought you were so great then why did she pick me?! Ever stopped to think about that?" Scorpius shot back with venom.

He squeezed her hand and pulled her to him as if he were afraid to let go.

"_I think about it every damn day" _Dante thought to himself. Rose looked at him curiously.

"What did you say?" She asked completely bemused. Dante and Scorpius stared at her in silence.

"I didn't say anything" He said looking at her as if she was mad.

"But I heard someone say something" She said, completely bewildered.

"Honey, are you feeling okay?" Scorpius asked softly. His eyes were wide and questioning.

"_What if she leaves me? I can't live without her…" _Scorpius thought examining her face. Rose heard it as if he had said it out loud, yet she knew he couldn't have, unless he had discovered the art of ventriloquism. She stared at him with eyes the size of saucers.

"Excuse me one moment please" She said rising and walking into the kitchen where she shut the door and leaned against it.

"_Oh dear, that dream wasn't a dream, I am telepathic!_" She thought. She stayed in the kitchen for a few minutes before walking back into the dining room.

"You alright Rosie?" Dante asked. Scorpius scowled at him, and watched Rose, who seemed to be eyeing Dante. Scorpius coughed indignantly.

"I'm over here honey" He said, sounding slightly irritated. Her eyes met his.

"_What did she ever see in him… apart from the charm, the looks, the brains…have I got all that…?...." _ Scorpius thought. Rose sat down and rubbed his leg, smiling reassuringly. Scorpius managed a small smile.

"_I love you Rosie, If only you knew baby.." _He thought looking at her.

"_I do Scorpius, you know I love you too_" She thought squeezing his hand warmly. His eyes widened.

"_Yes, that's right, I'm telepathic apparently" _She thought at him, concentrating. He leapt out of his seat and Rose excused them both from the table.

"What the hell's going on Rose?!" He yelped as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Apparently I've mastered the art of telepathy." She replied simply.

"You mean you've been training or something?" He asked in surprise.

"Well, self training really… can we talk about this later, I believe you two were having an argument." Rose said.

"Yeah but, how come I can hear only some of your thoughts and no-one else's and you can read everyone's!" Scorpius nearly whined.

"I don't know really…now come on we better get back" She said leading her husband back to the dining room where they sat down.

"Can we get on with this please?!" Dante said annoyed.

"Oh shut up Zabini" Rose snapped before leaving the room – they could obviously handle this by themselves. Scorpius smiled triumphantly. Dante looked wounded but recovered quickly. Rose watched them through the crack in the door and listened hard.

"I don't know what you're smirking about Malfoy, it's not like she thinks the world of you either. She didn't exactly try and stop me kissing her did she?" Zabini smiled smugly. Scorpius' ears reddened.

"_Don't listen to him Scor." _Rose said in his mind, the words swimming at the front of his brain. He blushed furiously and opened his mouth to say something before closing it again swiftly.

"And then there was last year, she wasn't mighty keen on stopping me then either, in fact she didn't even care enough to put a silencing spell on the Head's dorm. I bet you heard Every. Single. Moan." He said with relish. Scorpius stood up and walked around the table.

"Get out" He spat dangerously. It was all he could do to stop himself from kicking him into a fine pulp.

"We did it 6 times you know" Dante said ignoring Scorpius' last comment and examining the back of his hand looking smugger than ever.

"Right that's it!" Rose screamed bursting into the room. Her hair was on end as if she had run a hand through it over and over again.

"Dante you _know_ it wasn't like that!" She rushed to stand beside Scorpius and lay a protective hand over his chest. She felt his heart fluttering madly beneath her hand.

"We had sex _once _and _once only_, stop lying!" She yelled.

"Rose what on earth do you see in him? He isn't even man enough to kick me out onto the street for Merlin's sake!" Dante shouted back, standing up once more.

"But then again, that's probably a side effect from his dysfunctional balls" Dante laughed. Rose was about to strike him but Scorpius had taken one large stride and swung one of his powerful forearms in Zabini's direction. Dante was knocked to the floor, nursing a broken jaw, and Scorpius pounced on him kicking and punching ever body part he could find, especially the weaker spots. Rose half heartedly tried to stop him but she could not without entering the fray herself, and she did not want to risk her baby's health at the expense of Dante Zabini.

Scorpius finally stood up and flew into the bedroom, knocking over a chair as he did so and leaving Zabini on the floor. He was lying on the floor, half-sobbing and clutching his groin and various other parts that Scorpius had assaulted in his rampage. Rose helped him up and used a tissue to clean his wounds quickly before stepping outside and apparating to St. Mungos. She left him at the reception desk, bloody and bruised and apparated back home, only to find that Scorpius had locked himself in their room and would not let her in.

His voice sounded muffled and she hoped he wasn't crying. She slid down the wall and sat outside the door. Dante had said some of the most hurtful things she had ever heard and she wanted nothing more than to hold her husband in her arms and tell him she loved him.

Rose Malfoy began to cry once more.


	9. Where Is Scorpius?

**Thanks for the reviews you guys! Here's the next chapter, dedicated to all that read it! You may recognise Darren Flint as he appears in one of my other fics :) X**

**Where is Scorpius?**

The bleak early morning sun filtered through the windows on the landing of Ecantador. Rose stirred sleepily, something prodding the back of her head uncomfortably. She sat up and realised she must have cried herself asleep against her bedroom door and instantly remembered the previous night. She stood up in a shot. Well, she had planned to, but baby had other ideas and it took her about a minute to struggle from the floor. She inwardly cursed Scorpius for not letting her in, so she and their baby could have a lie down.

She finally got to her feet and banged on the door loudly.

"Scorpius Malfoy let me in this instant!!" She screamed through the door.

Nothing.

"Scorpius he's gone you can talk to me!" Rose said more gently.

Nothing.

"God dammit Scorpius open the door!" She screamed, getting angrier by the second.

Nothing.

Rose raised her wand, which was in her back pocket, and yelled 'Alohamora' at the door. Nothing happened and so she tried some more unlocking charms her mother had taught her, as well as some swear words her father had taught her. She turned away, holding her stomach. Suddenly, an idea hit her – maybe Scorpius hadn't locked the door by magic.

She drew her leg up, her knee gently touching her swelled stomach and kicked out sharply in the direction of the door. It gave way immediately at this violent movement and she fell into the room, tripping over a stray cable and nearly falling over.

"Ha I bet you – Scorpius? Where are you?" She said, looking around the empty room. The bed, neatly made, had not been slept in that night. Panic filled her and she twirled around the small bedroom – Where was Scorpius?

*

Rose stood in silence for a moment. '_Maybe he's gone out' _She thought hopefully_. 'Or maybe he's gone out and he's never coming back' _A less optimistic part of her piped up. She felt angry at herself, he couldn't have gone far; he w_ouldn't_ have gone far.

She sat down on their un-slept-in bed and rubbed her belly thoughtfully. She suddenly stood up, nearly falling over – even after nine months she forgot she was carrying a permanently heavy load sometimes. What if he had gone, perfectly innocently, to see his friend Darren, who taught potions in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?

She practically flew out of the house, locking in with a flick of her wrist. She quickly 'Accio-d' her broom, (a recent Firebolt edition which had been a wedding present from her uncle Harry) mounted it and took off, toward the castle that loomed over the little village. She arrived at the school gates and tapped her wand on them, knowing somebody would get the alert and come to her aid. Soon, she could see someone crossing the grounds, but she could not distinguish whether it was man, woman or student until the figure got closer, she recognised the familiar father-figure that was Hagrid. The matted hair that stuck up all around his face was tinged with grey, as was his beard. When he got closer enough to speak he shouted over to her.

"Rose Weasley, is tha' you?! Blimey you look more and more like yer old mum ev'ry time I see yeh!" He cried, his beetle-black eyes shining in the light from the nearly-afternoon sun. Rose couldn't help but smile - Hagrid was like family to her, even though he often forgot to acknowledge her as a Malfoy now.

"Hey Hagrid, you look well too" She smiled, her worry about Scorpius put temporarily to the back of her mind. Hagrid approached the gates and unlocked them with a complicated swirl of his pink umbrella. The minute she stepped through the gates she was pulled into a bone-crushing hug.

"How are yeh Rosie?" He asked, still excited at seeing her. It had been far too long, Rose thought.

"I'm fine thanks Hagrid, and you?" She asked smiling up at him and squinting in the sunlight. They began to walk towards the castle together, Rose beginning to feel like a student again, chatting excitedly to Hagrid, her favourite teacher.

"Oh I'm great" He beamed down at her, not noticing that she was having to jog to keep up with his huge strides. "What abou' yer family? How're Hermione, an' Ron? Harry? Ginny?" He asked enthusiastically.

"Everyone's fine, Hagrid" She said warmly, he always asked after her parents and uncle and aunt.

"What abou' young Scorpius? And the baby?" He asked, as they drew closer to the huge double doors of the castle that had been her home for seven years.

"Scorpius is fine, the baby is due in two and a half weeks, and I've had terrible cravings for chicken-and-ham pie!" Rose said animatedly. Hagrid barked a booming laugh that seemed to shake the ground they walked on.

"Where is yer young man then Posie?" Hagrid asked, seeming to only just realise he wasn't part of their small reunion. Rose faltered slightly and hoped he didn't notice.

"Actually, that's why I'm here" Rose said, as they climbed the steps toward the foyer. They stopped, and Rose realised he probably had a class soon and he would need to get back down to his hut. She had no idea what time it was, but guessed it was about lunchtime, and Hagrid would only have about fifteen minutes left of lunch.

"What do yeh mean?" Hagrid asked, confusing crossing his aging face. Rose decided she couldn't tell him the truth.

"Well, I was just wondering whether he had come up to see Darren, oops, I mean 'Professor Flint'" She giggled. Hagrid smiled again.

"I 'aven't seen him Rosie, but that doesn't count for much since I been outside all day" Hagrid smiled. Rose grinned back at him.

"Okay well, thanks Hagrid, I'll go and check just in case, I'll get mum to patronus you when the baby's on the way" She said, Hagrid beamed and winked.

"Right yeh are, Rose" He smiled and turned away, starting to walk down the steps back toward his hut.

He stopped at the bottom and waved a dustbin-lid sized hand at her before turning away and beginning the walk down the hill. Rose stood on the threshold, watching his retreating back sadly for a moment, before taking a deep, calming breath and pushing the door open with a creak.

*

Rose walked as swiftly as she could to the Hogwarts staff room. She said brief greetings to students and teachers she knew, including Professor Longbottom, her old Herbology teacher and family friend. She rounded the corner of where she knew the staff room was, and sighed with relief, at last she had found it. She smoothed her pale gold robes and knocked on the door, feeling more and more like a schoolgirl again, to her embarrassment.

The door flew open inwards and a professor she did not recognise stood there.

"Hello, can I help you?" She said politely but curiously.

"Yes… my name is Rose Malfoy, I'm looking for someone..." She trailed off, feeling herself blush, she sounded ridiculous.

"Oh okay, who are you looking for, student or professor?" The professor asked kindly.

"Professor Flint, Darren Flint, he teaches potions I believe" Rose said feeling a bit more confident.

"Oh, he hardly ever comes up here at lunch. He's probably down in the dungeons" The woman mused. Rose nodded.

"Okay thank you very much" She said, before turning and walking back the way she came, toward the entrance hall. She heard the door click shut as she rounded the corner and walked back down the steps. She stepped quickly across the hallway and down the dark familiar passageway that led toward the dungeons.

She took a left, towards the Slytherin common room and then when the passage forked she took a right. Soon, she was stood outside the vast potions room. She smoothed her hair down and performed a quick glamour charm on her face. She felt the light dusting of makeup appear and she transfigured a nearby rat into a mirror. She knocked on the door, mildly happy with what she saw, and quickly transfigured the mirror back into a rat as she heard heavy footsteps crossing the flagstones of the potions room. The door swung open and she felt as if a weight had been lifted as she saw her and her husband's schoolmate.

"Rose Malfoy what a surprise!" Darren said, a smile lighting up his handsome young face. Rose couldn't' help but smile back with enthusiasm. He swooped down slightly and drew her into a hug, kissing her cheek delicately and holding her at arms length to look at her.

"Cheeky cat" Rose murmured, smiling. He beamed back at her and released her.

"To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?" He asked, leading her to a chair and helping her into it. He took the opposite stool and gazed at her, his eyes dropping to her swelled stomach.

"Actually, I was wondering if you've seen my dear husband" She asked through slightly gritted teeth. He raised an eyebrow but the impish grin was back on his face in an instant.

"Lost him already have you?" He asked, grinning. Rose gave a forced laugh and her hands immediately dropped to her stomach, a wince escaping her lips. Darren stood up quickly.

"What is it Rosie? Are you hurt?" He asked quickly. Rose shook her head and forced a smile, letting her arms drift onto the table in between them. She drummed her fingernails on the table.

"No, its okay it's because I haven't eaten today" She explained. Darren nodded, not looking entirely convinced, but he thankfully didn't ask questions. That's what she liked about Darren.

"Anyway, you have no idea where he could be?" She pressed anxiously. Darren shook his head, looking concerned.

"Seriously Rosie, what's wrong? Scorpius wouldn't just disappear without good reason to" He said shrewdly. Rose's already forced smile turned into a grimace and then disappeared altogether.

"Oh Darren, he found out about me and Dante" She said, her head falling into her hands. Darren grimaced and then looked understanding. Rose looked up at him through watery eyes and he reached across the table to grab her cold hand and take it in his warm one.

"What happened?" Darren asked kindly, rubbing soothing circles in her palm. "Tell me everything" He said. Rose sighed before deciding she could trust Scorpius' best man over anyone else at the moment. She ran into the story, leaving out details about crying - Scorpius was proud. Darren rubbed her hand all the way through, when she started crying again he walked around the table and hugged her for a long moment. He released her after a minute and kneeled in front of her, forcing her to look at him through her sniffles and watery eyes.

"Rosie Posey, what am I going to do with you eh?" Darren asked chucking her under the chin. "Don't worry; Scorpius will come back once he's gotten over his bastard pride" He said winking. Rose laughed and sniffed. She stood up and hugged him.

"T-thank you Darren, you're the best" She said trying not to cry on the back of his school robes. He squeezed her and released her. She began walking away from him, toward the door, and stopped dead, clutching her stomach.

"Rose what is it?" Darren asked anxiously. She turned to face him, doubled over in pain. She straightened up slowly and looked at him. He noticed her eyes were slightly unfocused and he took a tentative step toward her. It was a good job he was within touching distance of her, for her sapphire eyes rolled back into her head and her legs collapsed beneath her. She was about to hit the floor when Darren caught her, supporting her back under his arm.

He leaned towards her and lay his head on her chest, over her heart. There was a definite heartbeat, but her breath was coming in shallow gasps, her eyes closed. He began to panic, and he laid her on the floor carefully. He grabbed his wand from the table gently took Rose by the lifeless hand, and apparated.

*

**Meanwhile…**

*

Astoria walked to the door, her stilettos clicking on the marble-tiled floor in the hall of the vast manor. She patted down her ash-brown hair and opened the door, letting the watery sunshine pour into the huge house.

"Oh, it's you, hello" She said giving the person at the door a small smile.

"I need to see your son. Quickly." The voice answered bluntly in a deep octave. Astoria nodded and stepped aside to let him pass, before he bowled her off her feet. Her son had been acting strange, not saying anything about his lovely wife, when he usually did not stop talking about her. Maybe, she guessed, his friend would cheer him up.

"He's in his study, sulking about something, I'm sure you know the way by now-" She trailed off as the young man walked past her, muttering a thanks and waving a hand as he padded down the corridor. He found the study with no problem, since the house had once been like a third home to him, after his own home and Hogwarts of course. He rapped smartly on the door and pushed the door open roughly. It hit the back wall with a loud bashing noise and the golden-haired young man at the desk in the corner, who previously had his head in his hands, looked up, annoyed.

"Hey- oh it's _you_" He spat before standing up so fast he knocked his chair over. He took three long strides towards the man stood in the doorway and towered over him.

"Get. Out. How _dare_ you come here you complete sack of sh-" He growled through gritted teeth.

"Oh save it, Scorpius I'm not here to check up on you" Dante spat back. Scorpius scowled, trying _very_ hard to restrain himself from ripping Zabini limb from limb. The muscles in his pale exposed forearms rippled as he clenched his fists, his fingernails digging into his palms.

"Why are you here then Zabini? And why aren't you in Mungos?" Scorpius asked, his voice constricted due to the fact that his jaw was clamped shut.

"They healed me in about a second" Dante said in a bored tone. "And I'm here because-…dammit we don't have time to stand and chat!" He snarled urgently, clenching his own hands into fists.

"What are you on abo-" Scorpius asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Grab your coat, Rose has been taken to hospital" Dante said, pain crossing his face. Scorpius felt numb, he felt as if his heart had dropped out of his body and through the floor.

"Wha-why-whats wrong?" He spluttered, his eyes wide and worried, despite the fact his worst enemy was telling him, and he was angry with them both, Rose marginally less though.

"There's no time!" Dante screamed, his voice cracking. "Now come on!" He added, grabbing Scorpius by the upper arm and hurtling him out of the study. Scorpius didn't care, he ran along the hallways, towards the door and outside, Dante close behind. He felt as if his mind was frozen, what was wrong with Rosie? Was she hurt? Was there a problem with the baby? He had to know, and they approached the gates, ignoring the calls from his mother, stood at the top of the garden, nearest the Manor. Scorpius tapped his wand impatiently on the big iron gate and wrenched it open. He pulled Dante through and forced him through apparition. They landed on the London pavement outside St. Mungos. Dante ran forward, Scorpius following blindly, and they grabbed the attention of the manikin in the window. She winked and let them in; they rushed together to the front desk.

"Rose…Weasley..." Dante panted to the bewildered girl behind the desk. Scorpius glared at him.

"Rose _Malfoy_, actually" Scorpius said, annoyed. Dante flinched. The woman flicked through a file on her desk swiftly.

"Ahh yes." She said "Rose Malfoy, second floor, maternity ward." She said pointing to the sign beside her desk which showed all the different floors. Scorpius and Dante shot a shocked glance at each other.

"MATERNITY WARD?"

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**Love it? Hate it? Tell me your thoughts by REVIEWING! :)**

x


	10. Battling It Out

**Thanks for the reviews, keep 'em coming! Please R+R xxx**

**Battling it out**

_(Subsequently)_

Dante hurried up the steps to the maternity wards, Scorpius hot on his heels. They ran in silence, the lady at the desk hadn't said anything else of interest, and the men were so numb with fear that they tuned out anything she had said after "Maternity ward."

They arrived outside a sparklingly clean white door and Scorpius banged his knuckles on it urgently. A tall blonde Healer opened the door and invited the panting men in with a look of bemusement. When they could talk properly, Scorpius spoke up.

"Rose…Malfoy" He croaked, massaging his ribs where a stitch had developed. Dante straightened up and nodded, gulping in breaths of air. The Healer looked them up and down for a second.

"Are you any relation of Miss Malfoy?" The Healer in what he probably assumed was a kind voice. Scorpius just felt patronized.

"_Mrs_ Malfoy" He snarled through gritted teeth. "I'm her husband" Scorpius said, annoyed.

"Unfortunately." Dante huffed quietly, drawing a death glare from Scorpius and a quizzical look from the Healer.

"And you are…?" He asked Dante, one of his blonde-brown eyebrows pulled up into a questioning look.

"I'm a…" He stopped, glancing swiftly at Scorpius, whose hands were balled into fists. "I'm a _friend_ of Rose" He finished, smirking at the back of Scorpius' neck, which was purpling with fury.

The Healer looked positively alarmed at his expression and decided quickly that, unless he really didn't like his face the way it currently was, he shouldn't keep this man away from his wife much longer. He looked like a blonde wolverine at the present.

The Healer stepped aside to let them through into his small office. There was another door opposite the one they closed behind them. The Healer led them through it, where there was a dazzlingly white maternity ward. There were curtains between each ward which each had some sort of spell on them, because the newborns some women were holding were obviously howling, but the men couldn't hear a sound. The Healer led them right to the end of the ward and drew back the curtain.

Rose lay on the hospital bed, in a St. Mungos robe. Her eyes were closed and her arms and legs were limp. If they hadn't seen her chest heave with the pressure of breathing, she could have passed for dead. She was deathly cold and pale, her cheeks flushing now and again. Her forehead had beads of sweat forming. Scorpius stepped forward to hold her stone-cold hand. Dante lagged behind a few steps as the Healer drew the curtains and turned back to face Dante. He addressed both of them, but Scorpius did not turn around. Instead, he conjured a chair form thin air and dropped into it.

"She collapsed earlier gentlemen." He said simply. Dante frowned.

"Why?" He asked, feeling completely numb. Both men's hearts had dropped to their expensive shoes.

"We believe its stress or trauma related, it's not _that_ uncommon in pregnant witches." He said sounding unsure and uncertain. "It is still best to keep her here for a few days. As I'm sure you realise, her due date is incredibly close" He explained.

Dante and Scorpius remained silent. Scorpius breathed deeply, clutching Rose's hand as if his life depended on it.

"She'll regain consciousness in about an hour we believe. It's a strictly magical thing; the magical blood in Rose's body reacts to the baby's magical blood. Rose has been unconscious for about three hours so this baby is truly powerful." The Healer said admiringly, realising that the men were paralysed with shock.

"If she doesn't naturally go into labour when she awakens, we'll have to induce the baby. Are you the father, sir?" the healer asked Dante. Scorpius' head snapped up. The two men flashed a quick glare at each other.

"I'm her husband, why would you think he is the father?!" Scorpius spat angrily at the Healer.

"I was just wondering why he was here" The Healer explained quickly. Dante looked nervously at Scorpius, who had turned away from them, holding Rose's hand in a vice-like grip.

"I told you, I'm a friend of Rose." Dante clipped coolly. He waved the Healer away shortly after that, asking him to return in an hour, when she was due to wake up.

After that, Dante conjured and sat on her other side, holding her left hand. A bedside table stood on each side of her bed, one with an empty vase.

They sat in silence for a moment, watching Rose take deep laboured breaths.

Suddenly, the curtains drew back with a whooshing sound and out stepped a tall figure dressed in teacher's robes. Scorpius stiffened, staring up at the figure.

"Oh hello you two" Darren Flint greeted them with a smile. He held a bunch of flowers in his huge hands. He stepped forward, and Scorpius did not look up at him until he stepped toward the empty vase. Scorpius stood up very fast and in a blur he was beside Darren, and snatching the flowers from his hands.

"I'll do it" He said in a dead voice to his friend. Darren blinked but took his unfriendliness in his stride. He handed the flowers carefully over to Scorpius and dropped into his vacated seat, smiling serenely. Scorpius arranged the flowers into the vase carefully without magic. Maybe to occupy himself, Darren didn't know.

"Are you always so unfriendly or is it just since I slept with your wife?" Dante asked lazily, laying back in his seat and inspecting his hands.

"Are you always an egotistical prick or is it just since I married the love of your life?" Scorpius snapped back coldly, playing with the flowers. Darren's smile faltered but he hitched it back onto his face.

"Ahh, poetry!" He said with a hint of bitter sarcasm. The men ignored him.

"She does love me you know." Dante said casually, almost conversationally. Scorpius tightened his grip on the flowers. He span around on his heel to face Dante, who was staring at him idly.

"Yes, that would explain why she married me and not you wouldn't it? Great logic there Zabini, two million points to Slytherin for rational thinking." He said his voice dripping with scorn. Dante didn't take long to respond, losing his cool composure.

"Marriage isn't the be all and end all you know Malfoy. Obviously Rose thinks the same, or she wouldn't have kissed me." He said, glaring up at Scorpius, whose hand twitched to his wand.

Darren didn't look even mildly surprised by the situation. Rose must have told him, Scorpius deduced.

"That really is the only claim you have on her isn't it?" Scorpius asked mockingly. "You pathetic little man." Scorpius tutted, turning away from him. Dante stood up, but before he could draw his wand, he had two pointing him in the face.

"Think carefully, Zabini" Darren said slowly, his wand stuck under Dante's chin. Scorpius just glared stonily at him, his wand directly between his eyes. None of them heard the curtain open quietly, but they did hear the soft female voice of the woman that spoke.

"Now, now boys, play nicely" Lily Potter scolded. She was greeted by two hard glares, and one half-hearted smile. She gulped inwardly. It was going to be a long story, she just _knew_ it.

*

_(Half an hour later – Sunset_)

Lily sat down awkwardly. Darren opposite her, on Rose's other side, humming cheerfully, despite the situation. After the Healer had come in and found three men fighting over Rose's sickbed, he had banished Dante and Scorpius to the corridor outside. Lily drummed her manicured nails on the polished wooden side-tables before turning to face Darren. At the moment, she gazed into his chocolate eyes, entranced as he told the story of her cousin and the two exiled men. When he finished, she sat in shock. Rose had been a naughty girl. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in a whoosh of air.

"Well I knew she slept with Dante late last year, the end of term. The same time that Scorpius was madly in love with her. That's what she told me anyway, though if she had any idea he _loved_ her rather than just had a teenage crush for her then she wouldn't ever have done it" She said shaking her head.

Shiny dark brown hair piled into a high ponytail flicked into her river-green eyes. Darren watched, looking thoughtful. He nodded – he knew her well enough to know that.

"Are they allowed in yet d'you think? I reckon they're ripping each other to bits." He chuckled after a long but comfortable pause – he always felt strangely at home with Lily Potter. Her tinkling-bell laugh rang quietly over the snuffling sounds coming from Rose. She had been semi-conscious for over half an hour and the Healer was due in five minutes.

"Yeah, come on, the other Healers have gone to the magical maladies ward. Some wizard set fire to a cursed muggle CD and he can't stop singing Celine Dion. He's started running out of breath" She giggled quietly. She pulled the curtains open to reveal a near-empty maternity ward. Only one woman lay in the room other than Rose, sleeping soundly. Lily walked carefully to the door, designer heels clicking on the pristine floor and opened it, stepping into the Head Healers office. She stopped when she heard raised voices outside in the corridor. She sat in the Healers chair. _I may as well let them battle this one out without interference. _She thought to herself. So she sat, and waited. Darren would call her if anything went wrong.

*

_Meanwhile…_

Scorpius and Dante sat with their back to the wall opposite the Healers door, slumped against the immaculate door. Dante glanced at Scorpius every five minutes, his legs pulled up to his chest. Scorpius sat sprawling his long legs across the hallway. Dante sighed and cleared his throat, drawing an impatient questioning look from Scorpius. He raised a pale eyebrow.

"I am sorry, you know." Dante said, looking down, suddenly very interested in his own knees. Scorpius looked away at the wall, frowning.

"What for?" He asked with mock confusion. "Stabbing me in the back at school? Sleeping with Rose when you knew I loved her in seventh year? _Kissing_ _my_ _wife_?" He offered. Dante looked up with fire in his eyes.

"Look, you know it wasn't like that I never knew you still liked her in seventh year, and if you did then you should have said so. That one isn't my fault" He argued defiantly. Scorpius scowled at him, but gave in.

"Okay that one was partly my fault, but kissing her?! Sleeping with her without a thought for the full capability of her reproductive system?!" He demanded. Dante raised his eyebrows.

"And of course you always think of protection before anything else. This baby could be yours too!" He said annoyed.

A look of Dante's own pain mixed with hope flashed over Scorpius' face and Dante softened slightly before Scorpius looked livid again.

"We're married and we were _trying_ for a baby!" He spat. "But _no_, two nights with you and **boom!** Baby time – hallelujah!" He said raising his voice. Dante mirrored his anger.

"I don't know why you're angry at me for! Me and Rose were a couple when we were sleeping together 'til you came and screwed it up!" He yelled vehemently.

Scorpius stiffened.

"So you thought you'd repay the favour? By kissing her – confusing her by declaring your undying love for her? My _wife_! That's a low blow, even for you, Zabini!" Scorpius screamed back at him with venom. Both men heard someone shouting from another room- and both ignored it. Neither men had realised they were stood up, inches apart, shouting in each other's faces until the door banged open with a resounding crash and Lily Potter stood in the doorway, looking completely stunned. They looked at her questioningly. She just stared, her mouth hanging open slightly.

"It looks as though she's having the baby" She said in a strangled voice, before turning on her black heel and shuffling through the door, leaving the angry men to stare after her in shock.


	11. She's Having A Baby

**Hey guys, I was absolutely heartbroken from the lack of reviews but I understand why people might have given up on this story. Heck - even **_**I**_** did for a while, but I'm going to continue writing, for the few people who still want to know what happens, and because I **_**want**_** to :) I did my homework on this chapter, finding out as much as possible about childbirth lol :P Also, when the nurse tells Scorpius, I kinda stole bits of dialogue from the movie "She's having a baby". No copyright infringement intended! Enjoy, or not…**

**She's Having a Baby**

_**(One Hour Later)**_

"Scorpius, didn't you give up smoking a year ago?" Darren asked, concerned. Scorpius shot daggers at him and took the longest drag either Dante or Darren had ever seen. He finished his seventeenth cigarette and tossed it into the ashtray provided by the hospital, which could do nothing to stop him smoking inside. Rose, it appeared, had gone into labour, but passed out before her second contraction. She then had trouble breathing, and Lily had called up some Healers immediately.

**(Less than an hour previously)**

"_It looks as though she's having the baby" She said in a strangled voice, before turning on her black heel and shuffling through the door, leaving the angry men to stare after her in shock. Scorpius ran after her, feeling numb to his core and dragged Darren behind him. Dante followed, looking as scared as Scorpius felt. They walked through the Healers office and shuffled into the room where Rose was sat bolt upright, eyes wide, massaging her stomach. Lily, who sat beside her cousin, held her hand and Rose's breathing became ragged and broken. Scorpius ran headlong to her side, just in time to see his wife's eyes roll back into her head. She slumped sideways into her cousin, who caught her in shock and lay her down on the bed. Dante rushed to her and took her out of Lily's arms. Lily then ran to the hallway where she accio-d her broom and flew downstairs, realising that apparition was impossible inside the hospital. _

"_Lay her down properly, Dante" Darren had said quietly reaching forward to the men and unconscious woman. _

_Her breathing was shallow and uneven, completely stopping sometimes before she would gasp and her heart would thud with difficulty. Dante clutched her for dear life, looking pained. He had then tried to give her mouth to mouth, but Scorpius pushed him aside._

"_What on Earth do you think you're doing?!" He yelled._

"_Are you really so blinded by jealousy that you can't see? I'm trying to help her!"_

"_Of course I'm bloody jealous! How else am I meant to feel?!" Scorpius retorted, red in the face._

"_That makes two of us then! Do you know what I would give to be in your damn shoes! To have her every single night and have her tell me she loves __**me**__, just me?!" Dante shouted back, taking a step toward Scorpius, who stood a few feet away from Rose's bed, close to the door. They stood less than a metre apart now, both pink in the face and clenching wands in their fists._

"_Well at least I'm not alone on that, if she loved me and only me then she wouldn't have kissed you, and if she loved me as powerfully as I loved her in seventh year then she wouldn't have shacked up with __**you**__! I don't have her all to myself like you think I do, and not to inflate your damn ego Zabini, but there's a part of her that has always loved you!" Scorpius said, sparks flying from his wand and his voice breaking at the end – this was hard for him to say. Darren laid a hand on Scorpius' shoulder, his own wand in his hand._

_At that moment, the door banged open, and the three Healers saw the arguing men in the doorway._

"_Right, _You_, _you_ and _you_ – Out!" The Midwitch barked, pointing at the men._

"_But I'm the fa-" Scorpius protested before she cut him off._

"_I don't care if you're Harry bloody Potter! __**OUT!**__" She said making her way to the unconscious woman. Lily laughed once, sarcastically at the Harry Potter joke, before the men left the room, defeated. Scorpius had then proceeded to smoke seventeen cigarettes and scowl at the door, pacing._

_**(Presently)**_

Scorpius' pacing was really starting to piss Dante off. Back and bloody forth. Like that was going to help Rosie, he thought dully. Scorpius took a drag from his eighteenth cigarette and waved it about anxiously, still staring at the door, his forehead creased in worry. Darren tapped his foot subconsciously; worry lines were etched into his handsome face too.

"Dammit!" Scorpius yelled, slamming his fist into a nearby wall and ignoring the pain. He closed his eyes and leant his blonde head against his fist, breaking down. Darren stood in a fluid movement and strode across the Healers office to his side, laying a hand on his friend's shoulder. He took it as a good sign that he did not shake it off.

"She'll be alright, she's a fighter is our Rosie." He said in a low voice. Scorpius turned to face him, and Dante couldn't see his face.

"What is she isn't? This isn't normal for a pregnant woman, let alone a witch, the Healer said the baby was powerful, what if it's too powerful?" Scorpius said in a thick voice. It sounded as if he was crying, or at least seriously worried. Dante, no matter how much he disliked Malfoy, didn't blame him; that was exactly how he felt. Darren led Scorpius to the nearest chair where he put his head in his hands. Suddenly, the door was opened with a creak. Scorpius' head snapped up so fast he must have cricked it. Again, he ignored the pain to look up at Lily Potter. He stood up so fast that he would have knocked his chair to the ground if Darren hadn't grabbed it.

Dante looked up too.

"What is it? Is Rose okay? Is the baby okay? Does she need me?" Scorpius asked in a torrent. Lily shook her head.

"The baby's fine and she needs to recover before she can try giving birth, not that baby cares." She said. Her hair was a mess and she looked generally dishevelled. Scorpius sat down again, Dante stared up at Lily.

"What do you need?" He asked, knowing there was another reason for her to come out to report no change. Lily turned to him, her eyes as soft as they had been on Scorpius. He had always liked Lily – she was not as judgemental as the others would have been, especially Hugo, who would have been on Scorpius' side straight away, good friends as they were.

"I need you to patronus Rose's mother. Hermione and Ron should be here." She said in an emotionless voice. Dante nodded once and left the room. Lily squeezed Darren's shoulder, who was closest to her and left the room, closing the door with a click. Scorpius ran a hand through his hair for the next five minutes and had just taken to pacing again when the door opened and Dante returned, coughing because of the cigarette smoke which had no escape. He pointed his wand into the room and muttered a spell, which instantly cleared the air.

Scorpius paced back and forth and Dante was about to use an Unforgivable curse on him, but the door to the hallway crashed open with a resounding bang.

"Ron!" Hermione Weasley said reproachfully to her husband. A tall, red-headed man stood in the doorway. His hair was like it was in pictures Dante had seen of the Golden Trio in fifth year, except perhaps a little thinner. An ever-youthful Hermione stood behind him, long dark curls falling down her back in ringlets. Her eyes were still a soft caramel brown, like the pictures of her in the "_Hogwarts, A History_" books.

Dante stood up as the tall, red-faced man came into the room. Scorpius looked up once and dropped his head back into his hands. Hermione walked into the room behind her husband and came to stand beside him, looking down at Scorpius. She squeezed his shoulder and when he looked up at her with pink cheeks and red-rimmed eyes, she chucked him under the chin, her smile grim. She patted his shoulder and Ron was about to open his mouth to ask after his daughter, but the door crashed open yet again and a tall, blonde haired man stood in the doorway, his slightly-receding, slicked-back hair falling into his pale pointed face.

"Son" He said relieved, walking into the room and grabbing Scorpius' shoulders in comfort.

"Are you alright?" He added when Scorpius looked up at his father. He raised an eyebrow at the stupid question. Draco nodded and looked around the room.

"Ron, Hermione" He nodded to them. Scorpius noted dimly that his father said Hermione's name slightly kinder than that of her husbands.

"Draco" Hermione replied in her soft soprano voice. Ron just grunted. Draco sat down next to his son and Hermione sat on Scorpius' other side.

"Thank you for your message, Dante." Hermione said politely, but slightly stiffly; she knew of Rose's brief fling with Dante, but not the extent of the damage it had caused her daughter's small family. Ron shifted his weigh, apparently thanking him as well, but not being calm enough to speak.

"Yes, thank you for the warning." Draco said, his voice brittle. He turned to his son and they began conversing in low tones, every so often Draco would sneak a glance at Hermione, who was reading the certificates and citations on the Healers desk. Soon, she turned to her husband with adoring eyes.

"Should we let Hugo know?" She asked quickly, whispering because of the tension in the room. Darren had left to get them all coffee and Dante was drumming his finders on the leather armrests of his chair in the corner. Only Ron remained standing, his arms folded over his chest staring at Draco. Blue eyes fixed on the chocolate orbs of his wife.

"Yeah, don't worry 'Mione, I'll go." He sighed. He then flashed a small reassuring smile at his wife and left the room, patting her shoulder on the way out. The door had barely touched the frame when it swung open again and Darren held out coffee for everyone. Draco grabbed three in his long fingers and held them out for his son and Hermione, who looked surprised but hitched a smile upon her face. Muttering her thanks, she sipped it, glancing at Scorpius, who didn't even acknowledge his coffee and sat with his head in his hands, ignoring his Father's arm around his shoulders. Hermione laid her hand on his forearm gently and when he looked up at her, his eyes no longer red-rimmed but weary, she gave him a warm smile. His face softened, but he could not muster the strength to smile back.

"She'll be okay, Rosie's a fighter; she'll make it through. Everything will turn out exactly as it's supposed to." She said quietly before the door opened with a bang and in stepped Hugo Weasley followed by his father. Scorpius looked back down, his hands running through his hair again. Hugo was dressed in full Quidditch kit, broom in hand.

"Oh darling, were you training?" Hermione asked quietly, standing to draw him into a hug. Darren, who was talking to Dante in a low voice, looked up to see Hugo. If it was not already apparent from the green Quidditch kit, Hugo played internationally for the Irish team.

"Yeah" He answered simply, brushing it off as if it didn't matter. "But this is more important, why are we all in here? Scorpius?" Hugo asked, pulling out from his mothers grasp and plopping into a chair she conjured. She too sat down, pulling her husband into the chair beside her.

"We were kicked out" Scorpius replied dully, meeting Hugo's brown-eyed gaze.

"Why?"

"Fighting"

"Ah" Hugo allowed, accepting it as if it was the most obvious answer. Scorpius turned back to the table and dropped his head back into his hands. Draco looked around to Hugo and then back to his son's face.

"Fighting? What fighting? Scorpius?!" He asked incredulously.

"Dante and Scorpius had a bit of a… disagreement." Darren offered when no-one spoke. Draco nodded once, not wanting to know why. Ron opened his mouth to ask, but the door which led to the maternity ward opened quietly and out stepped Lily.

"Lils" Hermione said standing and enveloping her niece in a tight hug. Ron and Scorpius looked up at Lily as Hermione sat down.

"Is she okay?" Ron asked quickly, his voice hoarse from lack of use.

"No change I'm afraid. The Healers have stopped trying to revive her for a bit, she'll come around in the early hours of tomorrow, and it's about 7 o clock now. A few of us are going to have to go for now, only three of the beds have freed up, and seeing as Rose has named me her birth partner, there are only two free beds." She sighed, leaning against the door. Draco, Ron and Hermione shared a glance.

"We'll go Lily, but be sure to contact us the minute Rose goes into labour again darling" Hermione said as she, Ron and Draco stood up. Hugo and Darren also jumped to their feet. Hermione hugged Lily and Hugo, and Hugo left the room, patted Scorpius and Dante on the shoulder as he left. Darren copied him – it didn't matter who was in the wrong; the woman they both loved was in jeopardy.

They trailed out one by one, eventually leaving just Lily, Dante and Scorpius, who had not moved. Draco squeezed his son's shoulder and left last, closing the door behind him. Lily grimaced.

"Can I leave you two alone for a bit? I'm going to stay with Rose. Please don't rip each other apart, no matter the situation she is your common ground." She said before leaving the room, letting the door click back to the frame.

*

_(3 Hours Later)_

"Will you stop bloody pacing?!" Dante yelled. It was the first time either of them had spoken for three hours. He was sat on the edge of his seat tensely and Scorpius had paced back and forth across the carpet so often that he must have worn away a path.

"Fuck off, Zabini. That's my wife in there!" Scorpius retorted sharply. He continued pacing.

"We've been through this, Rose means just as much to me as she does to you." Dante replied brusquely.

"You wish, just shut up" Scorpius told him. Dante sat back in his seat and brought his hands up to his face. They continued like this for the best of 30 minutes before the door, which had been opened and closed so much that it may as well have not been there, swung open once again to reveal Lily Potter. She padded into the room and plopped into an empty seat near the fireplace in front of the dying embers. She must have felt two pairs of eyes on the back of her head, for she spoke.

"No change. Still out cold." She answered the unspoken questions. Scorpius nodded and Dante, who had sat bolt upright, fell backwards into the chair again.

Hours passed, and Lily left the room silently to return to Rose's side. Dante fell into a deep sleep and Scorpius sat in front of the dying ashes in the fire, poking them with the poker every so often to remind himself he was alive.

Finally, at quarter to two in the morning, the door swung open swiftly and the Midwitch from before side-stepped into the room. Scorpius raised his eyebrows at her, and then at Dante, who was asleep, his mouth hanging open. She walked towards Scorpius, who stood up immediately. Her short black hair was tied in a ponytail at the back of her neck, and over it was a shower-cap style nurse's hat. Her expression was apologetic. It was all he could do to stop himself from grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her for information. Instead, he felt tears appearing in his eyes.

"Mr Malfoy, Rose is awake but there have been some…complications." She began. Her eyes studied his face.

"The baby is in a breech presentation." She said softly. Scorpius nodded once and sniffed.

"It's coming out backwards." She added.

Scorpius bit his lip to stop himself sobbing aloud. He nodded and looked at the floor before looking back at her.

"What…what does it mean?" He whispered, his voice cracking from lack of use. The MidWitch sighed quietly and surveyed his face. Tears were building up in his eyes and it was all he could do to stop them from spilling down his face. He wiped his nose with his sleeve like a child and sniffed.

"The baby's head is…caught" She said slowly, her voice soft and gentle. Scorpius looked at her blankly, in shock. He gave up trying to stop the tears from trickling down his face and let them fall. He bit his lip and sniffed again as the tears poured down his face.

"We're doing everything in our power to help Rose, but we have to avoid using magic as this is a very complicated procedure. We don't want to harm the baby or your wife. Since we are doing this the muggle way, we need more Healers. It will be crowded in the ward any minute; you're going to have to stay here." She said.

Scorpius nodded numbly. It felt as if his world had fallen apart. The MidWitch patted his upper arm with her gloved hand and turned on her heel, closing the door behind her. Scorpius stared at the door she had left through with tearful eyes.

*

**(A/N: Now is the time you should listen to this song: ****.com/watch?v=_NRdA0ST4Zg&feature=related****. It's called "This Woman's Work" By Kate Bush. I have used some lyrics as they describe Scorpius' feelings beautifully.)**

_(Subsequently) _

_All the things I should have said that I never said, _

_All the things we should have done that we never did,_

_Oh darling make it go,_

_Make it go away…_

Scorpius fell backwards into the chair and put his hands under his chin and sat very still.

It was hard to think, but when he tried, memories flooded the foreground of his mind…

"_Rose Hermione Weasley, do you take this man to be your lawful wedded husband?"_

"_I do" Rose nodded, her blue eyes shining under the white veil. She played subconsciously with her beautiful wedding dress and stared at Scorpius._

"_And do you, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife?" _

"_I do" Scorpius replied so fast he almost interrupted the vicar. Rose smiled at him, her eyes shining. Scorpius beamed back, happier than he had ever been in his life._

"_I now pronounce you man and wife." The vicar said, waving his wand over the heads of the couple. Sparks bound the rings on their fingers together and then they disappeared. "You may now kiss the bride" The vicar announced happily as Scorpius pushed Rose's veil over her curled hair, way ahead of him. He crashed his lips against hers before she could react, not wanting to be separated from them for longer than an hour. The wedding bells tolled and people rushed forward to congratulate them._

The flashback ended and another one began. It was a clear summer's day, not a cloud in the sky. A beautiful red-headed woman was strolling beside a clear blue river, hand in hand with a tall, handsome blonde man…

_Scorpius walked nearest to the river, gazing into its depths. Rose's eyes followed his gaze._

"_I wonder how warm it is…" Scorpius thought aloud. Rose grinned impishly at him but he didn't see._

"_You tell me" Rose said before she wrenched her hand out from his._

"_Wha-?" was all he was able to splutter before he was falling backwards into the lukewarm water of the river, due to a strong push from his wife. He stood up in the water, stuttering and spitting out water. He pushed his sopping wet hair out of his face before he heard a laugh he could not get enough of, which sounded like pealing bells. He found himself laughing too; she was bent double with laughter. She extended an arm to him, still giggling._

"_Come on, I'll help you, you useless man" She laughed. Scorpius grabbed her hand and with a rough tug pulled her in with him. She let out a little "Oh" of surprise before she continued laughing with him, pushing her wet hair out of her eyes. She grabbed him and pulled him into a hug. He sought her lips and kissed her passionately, smiling into her mouth…_

Scorpius half-smiled at the memory, tears cascading down his hot cheeks, blinding his sight. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand carelessly. Dante stirred noisily behind him and then the noise stopped.

"What is it Scorpius? Is Rose alright?!" Came the voice of Dante from behind him. Scorpius stayed stock still, wiping the tears from his eyes. He turned around slowly so Dante could see his red rimmed eyes and blotched cheeks. Dante jumped to his feet. And then the screaming started.

*

_(10 Minutes Later)_

Dante sat in the leather chair, his hands over his ears to block out the sounds of Rose's heart-wrenching screams. Scorpius had taken up pacing again. In the other room, Lily was having her hand broken by her cousin.

"When I count to five Rose, I want you to push, can you do that?" The MidWitch asked calmly. Rose nodded.

Beads of sweat were appearing on her forehead as she strained. Her hair was wrapped in the same shower-cap style hat the nurses all wore, but the little wisps of hair poking out from under it were damp with sweat.

"One…two…three…four…_five"_ a nurse counted. Rose pushed hard and screamed again loudly. Dimly, she heard what sounded like a fist hit the wall in the office next door.

_I know you have a little life in you yet,_

_I know you have a lot of strength left,_

_I should be crying but I just can't let it show,_

_I should be hoping but I can't stop thinking…_

"Brilliant Rose, and again, ready?" Someone yelled.

Lily squeezed her hand supportively.

"You're doing really well honey, I'm so proud of you, one more time!" Lily said boldly.

Rose flashed a strained smile and closed her eyes, her expression pained.

"_I deserve this pain." _She told herself over and over. She barely heard the voice counting.

"One…two…three…four…_five_!" The same voice repeated. Rose pushed and emitted a sound between a groan and a scream. She heard a broken sob from the next room.

"That was excellent, Rose, one more time-" The nurse began, but she cut across them with a piercing yell.

"SCORPIUS!" She screamed. "SCORPIUS, I LOVE YOU!" She screamed the loudest yet. The nurses instinctively covered their ears and the noises from next door cut off.

"ROSE, I LOVE YOU TOO, HONEY!" Scorpius' voice replied through the wall. His voice was thick as if he was crying.

"One…two…three…four…five…PUSH!" Said the familiar voice. Rose pushed one last time and felt relief. She then heard the crying of her baby, but before she could do or say anything else her whole body became limp with exhaustion. A few moments later, the crying became fainter and she was left alone, even Lily had followed the nurses. A second later the door crashed open and Scorpius barged into the room, followed by Dante. Dante stayed away from her bed, but Scorpius sprinted to her side. She held out her arm but it went limp just as he reached her.

"I…love…you…" Were her last words before her entire body loosened and became fully limp, and her vision darkened to black.

**So…my longest and most dramatic chapter yet…tell me what you think please I need to know if my hard work has gone to waste!**

**Review … :)**


	12. Who's the Daddy?

**Firstly – thank you so much for the reviews you guys! They means so much to me, just to know that I didn't spend so much time doing and re-doing that chapter for no reason :) Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long, and also once you find everything out, I hope that it wasn't obvious from the start. This fic, I am very sad to say, is very nearly complete :( I would also like to hear all of your theories on who you thought the father was (it's only a 50/50 chance, honest!) and why. Keep the reviewing up :D This chapter is split into different characters parts, not the POV, but just following what they're thinking and feeling more closely.**

**-Sarita**

**Who's the Daddy?**

**Part 1: Rose**

The first thing Rose Malfoy realised was that, contrary to her earlier belief, she was not dead, which would probably be a relief if she could open her eyes to prove her assumption was fact. It must have been at least a few hours since she'd had her baby – she didn't even know if the baby was a boy or girl – a niggling fact that ate away at her the whole time. The small comfort she had was that no-one but the Healers were allowed to see the baby before she was conscious, or at least appearing to be, for it had been one of the conditions she had screamed at the MidWitch before her baby was born…

"If I pass out again-" She had panted "- NOBODY is to see the baby, not Scorpius or Lily or my mother- no one but the healers, please! I can't have everyone else knowing him or her before me!" She had pleaded. The Healers had nodded solemnly, understanding this condition as many mothers would ask the same.

After that, Rose didn't remember much, save for the terrible pain and exhaustion, the counting, and Scorpius' warm hand on her clammy cold one before she drifted into nothingness. Rose closed her eyes tighter against the light in her ward – she had been moved to a private aftercare ward. She had heard many familiar voices over the past what she guessed to be at least seven hours. Sometimes she had been in a semi-conscious state like she was now, feeling unable to open her eyes, but able to hear everything that was said, and sometimes she had been unconscious and regained consciousness just before they left.

She had heard many conversations that night (well, morning, she thought). In fact, the first time she had regained consciousness, she awoke to find Scorpius laying across her, sobbing and begging. When she had opened her eyes, he couldn't see her for his face was buried in her hair, which was out of the hideous shower-cap style hat, thank Merlin.

"Not her…please not Rose…take me instead…" were the words that sounded from his pleading mouth. She quickly closed her eyes and fell almost instantly into another deep slumber.

The next voices she had heard were those of her mother and father.

"I told you she was a fighter Scor" Hermione said, relief evident in her tone.

"I know. She's still fighting though." Scorpius had replied, not allowing himself to hope. He sounded miserable and tired, as if he hadn't slept the night through. She was about to fall asleep again before her father and mother begun talking again.

"I'm so proud" Ron said thickly, as if holding back tears. There was a sound very much like someone being patted on the back.

"She's still fighting, she'll be fine" Sid her mother proudly, believing in Rose until the very end. Rose had fallen asleep after that, trying to beat back tears. The next time she awoke, Dante was holding her hand in his warm soft one.

"Careful" snapped a voice from where she presumed was the doorway, in a warning tone.

"Shut it Malfunction" Dante said, curtly, his voice distorted oddly at the end, muffled as if the man had drew his hand to his face when he looked back down at her. He sniffed quietly and something warm and wet dripped onto her cold hand. She felt the terrible need to comfort him, but restrained herself.

Do I really look that bad? Rose thought before she fell into another slumber. When next she regained consciousness she heard the door open and in blew the instantly recognisable and sweet scent of Scorpius' mother Astoria. She glided silently into the room, her husband close behind, from the scent of French aftershave.

"Poor Rosie" Said Astoria quietly, stroking the wisps of hair out of her eyes, which fluttered. Astoria had always approved of Rose, she was strong and brave and independent, and loved her son dearly. Astoria had always been fond of her - that was apparent from the first time Rose had stayed at the Manor with Scorpius in the summer holidays for a week. Draco took some getting used to, but he could be a kind man and was a good father, unlike Lucius, who had long since passed.

"Astoria rubbed her palm against Rose's ever-cold hand soothingly. Rose, who had long since learned to rely on her sense of hearing and smell, heard Draco place what smelt unmistakably like lilies in the vase by her bedside. They had muttered a few more soothing words and then they had left, leaving a large parcel at the foot of her bed. Astoria kissed her forehead in a motherly way and Draco tucked her into the sheets like she was a small child. Later that day, Scorpius had returned to her bedside, holding her hand like he would never let go, and he never did for the next day, while Rose continued to flit between consciousness and unconsciousness. When again she woke, becoming weary of her inability to remain conscious, she found her cousins and brother crowded around her bed, despite the obvious pleas of the Healers. They stayed for at least half an hour, chattering quietly amongst themselves, Lily fussing around her bed. Eventually, when Teddy and Victoire Lupin arrived, they decided it was too crowded; they left what sounded like more presents and shuffled out of her room. Later that day, she had awoken to hear and smell her Auntie Ginny, who was smoothing her bed sheets affectionately, and her Uncle Harry, who was holding her hand tightly between both of his own. Her parents had joined them after a while and while her mother and aunt busied themselves around the room, Harry and Ron chattered excitedly about the baby.

"If it's a boy who do you think it'll look like?" Her father asked eagerly.

"Hopefully more like Hermione than your ugly mug" Harry laughed, ducking under Ron's playful shove.

"No, I think he or she will look a lot like Rose, but with Scorpius' hair." Hermione mused shrewdly. They spent about 30 minutes after that discussing everything from names to the possible hair and eye colour of the newborn. They left together after that, her mother and aunt planning to go shopping together for baby clothes. Rose smiled to herself and sat up in bed once they had left, opening her eyes for the first time in what felt like weeks.

The room she was confined in was small, with her bed against the south wall, a window against the west, and the oak door in the far north-eastern wall. The room gleamed white, from floors to ceiling and on the bedside table sat three vases overflowing with flowers. At the foot of her hospital bed, she saw a mound of presents addressed to her, Scorpius and baby Malfoy. She stared at the ceiling for a millisecond before the door opened quietly and Scorpius stepped inside, his back to her. He walked in, still not noticing she was awake, and walked to sit in one of the chairs beside her bed. He looked up from the bouquet of flowers in his hand to see Rose staring at him, halfway between amused and perplexed.

He jumped about a foot in the air to his feet and let out a yelp of joy. He seemed torn between laughing and crying, and so did both, tears of joy appearing in his eyes, which widened with his shocked smile.

"Rosie!" He yelled as if she was across a Quidditch pitch. Rose beamed up at him, reaching her arms up at him, inviting him to hug her. He sat down again and pulled his arms around her, squeezing her tightly.

"How are you? What happened in the ward before I came in? Am I hurting you, sorry..." He trailed off, still firing questions at her, but she stopped listening to take in his face. It was handsome as ever, but there were purplish bags under his tired steel-blue eyes, which were permanently red-rimmed at the moment. A tear slid down his cheek and Rose wiped it off lovingly, drawing him into another hug, she buried her face into his cheek-length hair and inhaled quickly, taking in his warm earthy scent. He did the same, taking in her ever-sweet, flowery and feminine aroma. They broke apart, staring at each other and taking in everything about the other. Rose brushed at the wetness in her own blue eyes and breathed deeply.

"Shall we see the baby now?" Rose asked carefully. Scorpius inhaled deeply. He nodded slowly.

"Yes"

*

**Part 2: Scorpius**

"I'll just go and fetch a Healer. They aren't very fond of me though, I'm afraid." Scorpius said, patting his wife on the hand, standing and turning to leave. He could not really have expected to leave without the Spanish Inquisition re-enactment. And sure enough…

"What? Why?" Rose spluttered, sitting up and leaning on her elbow. Scorpius sighed and turned back around, sitting down. She stared at him, confused.

"Well, once they shut me out when you were screaming I kind of…smashed the head Healer's room." Scorpius said, rubbing him neck shamefacedly. Rose raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"And" he added "When you passed out and they wouldn't let me see the baby, I went a bit crazy" He finished, still looking guiltily down at her. She sat up straight.

"Scorpius…" She said, also looking guilty for some reason. Why the hell is she looking guilty? He thought to himself, before she spoke again.

"I told them not to let anyone see him or her without me" She explained apologetically. Scorpius nodded slowly. He said nothing for a while before he answered her.

"I…understand why" He said, still nodded as if trying to accept the idea that _she_ kept them all from the baby.

"But why not at least me?" He asked. "And Dante" he added with venom.

"I…don't know" She said eventually. "I'm sorry Scor" She said, looking down, ashamed. He rubbed her upper arm gently.

"It's okay, I understand. I think I'd rather we met the baby together too" He said smiling at the idea. He then stood up, turning and leaving, keeping the door open. He walked along the corridor looking for a Healer. He spotted a pretty MediWitch, who could not be any older than he, leaning against the baby ward door and he exhaled, relieved.

"Hello, could you help me?" He asked politely.

"Yes of course Mr Malfoy" She replied with a shy smile. She batted her mascara-clad eyelashes at him, obviously having read about him in Witch Weekly or whatever girly magazine often talked about Draco Malfoy's heir.

"I'm looking for baby Malfoy." He said, no longer smiling at her; his wife had just suffered giving birth to what was potentially his baby.

"Okay, I'll bring the baby through in ten minutes, please wait with Mrs Malfoy." The young witch said, spitting Rose's title like poison. Scorpius nodded curtly, thanked her, and turned on his heel, in a hurry to get back to Rose's ward. He stopped just outside and, hearing a man's voice, peered through the door, which hung ajar.

"If I'm the father Rose, I swear I'll be there for you." Dante was saying.

"Scorpius is the father, legitimately and otherwise." Rose said defiantly.

"But if not, I'll pay my way and I'll look after the child in the holidays and weekends and things." Dante insisted courteously.

"I won't stop you seeing the child if it is yours, but if not I want you to disappear Dante, I mean it, never darken my doorstep again." She said dangerously. "Am I making myself quite clear?" She asked and Scorpius knew she would only accept one answer, which he gave reluctantly.

"I- Okay, yes fine" He allowed.

"And if you are the father…" She started on a kinder note. "Then we'll have some things to discuss, me you and Scorpius. Obviously I would have to make some serious re-considerations on past decisions." She sniffed.

Scorpius didn't know or want to know what she meant by that, but thought then would be the perfect time for him to make his reappearance, and he side-stepped into the room. His appearance made Rose beam happily and Dante look even sulkier.

"The baby will be here in about 2 minutes" He said deducting the time for the conversation and the walk to and from the other ward. Rose smiled even wider, showing pearly teeth at him. She had cleaned herself up since he had gone, casting some sort of glamour charm on herself – her hair was in a loose, curly ponytail at the back of her head, her lips shone with clear gloss, and her long eyelashes fluttered with light mascara. He bounced to stand next to her and held her hand. Dante sat in the seat next to her, and for once did not take her hand, but looked sulky and nervous. Scorpius himself felt incredibly apprehensive, but Rose squeezed his hand, feeling nervous as well.

A minute later like this, and the door opened quietly and the MediWitch from before stepped in, with a silent bundle in her arms. Rose had been looking to see what colour the blanket was – blue or pink, which would have been a big giveaway to the sex of the baby, but he or she was wrapped tightly in a pale yellow, neutral blanket. The nurse waved her hand and a crib appeared in the corner of the room. Rose however, took no notice of it, instead gazing at the small bundle, which the MediWitch was holding like an unexploded bomb. She sailed quietly to her bed and the three of them looked at each other before looking down at the baby which now lay in Rose's arms. The nurse shot Scorpius another smile and left the room. Rose looked at the two men again, her gaze lingering on Scorpius, before she pulled back the swaddling to reveal her baby.

"It's a girl" Dante said, surprised. Scorpius had not yet seen the baby, as she was facing Dante. Rose began to cry, and the baby turned to look at Scorpius, who saw with a shocked jolt, that the baby had the soft, curly locks which were the trademark platinum blonde of a Malfoy.

*

_(Subsequently)_

Scorpius gazed down at the little girl in Rose's arms. The baby looked up at him with intelligent eyes, Rose's shade of deep blue, but his own shape. He clapped a hand to his mouth and jumped.

"Sh-she's _mine_!" He gasped finally. His wife looked up at him with teary eyes, beaming wider than ever. A squeal escaped from her lips, an excited, happy squeal of pleasure. The happy pair quite forgot that Dante sat beside Rose. Weirdly, he looked unaffected and unsurprised. Scorpius had no time to dwell on this, for he was watching his wife cradle their child, _his_ child. Happy tears sprung to his eyes and he made no attempt to wipe them away as Rose passed the baby girl carefully to Scorpius, who made a cradle with his long arms and drew his daughter into them. The baby looked up at him before, sleepily, her eyelids fluttered and she fell asleep. Scorpius wiped his tears away impatiently and gazed down at the most beautiful baby he had ever seen. He watched her for at least ten minutes, cooing gentle nothings to her, Rose gazing at her over his shoulder too, before Dante rose and muttered about fresh air and how he would be outside if they needed him.

Scorpius and Rose passed their daughter back and forth to each other, watching her the whole time just sleeping, her pale lavender lids fluttering and her tiny rose-petal lips moving slowly.

Scorpius finally took the baby to her crib in the corner and lay her down carefully, before plopping down on the side of the bed, where he gazed intently at his beautiful wife lovingly.

"Thank you Rose" He said, his voice full of emotion. She scooted over to the edge of her bed so he could lay next to her, his arm around her shoulders, carefree for once in what seemed like many, many years.

"What do you think? Beautiful isn't she?" Rose gushed, her voice too, full of passion.

"The most beautiful baby I've ever seen" Scorpius agreed valiantly. Rose nodded, smiling at him.

"What do you think then…for a name?" She asked tentatively. Scorpius looked thoughtful.

"I don't know; well could we name her after a star, like all my maternal family…?" He asked nervously. Rose nodded.

"I thought you might say that, so I picked some pretty star names. My favourite is…" She tailed off, embarrassed.

"What? What's the name?" He asked, intrigued.

"Um…Celina. In mythology she was one of the seven daughters of Atlas who were transformed by Zeus into stars of the Pleiades constellation." Rose recited easily. Scorpius nodded, smiling slightly.

"Celina…_Celina_." He said, testing the name. He suddenly beamed at her.

"It's beautiful. I love it" He said approvingly. She returned his smile.

"Middle name?" He added, directing the question at her.

"Well, maybe a bit obvious, but Hermione and Astoria?" She said, a question in her voice.

"Yeah, nice and traditional." He mused appreciatively. Rose nodded, smiling. He kissed her gently on the lips, and pulled away quickly. She looked at him reproachfully; he shook his head as if to remove a thought.

"I have to do something a minute, I'll be right back honey." He said, and in one bound he leapt off the bed and out of the room, stopped to gaze into the crib before closing the door behind him. He didn't start when a voice spoke from behind him, like he knew it would.

"Congratulations." The voice said dully, stepping out from the shadows. Scorpius didn't turn.

"Commiserations" Scorpius replied, turning to Dante. "You didn't seem surprised" Scorpius said. It was not a question.

"No, I wasn't. I knew you were the father all along. Hard not to be, really" Dante said, pushing his hands into his pockets. Scorpius frowned and Dante seemed to realise he had said too much.

"What?" Scorpius asked ominously.

"Nothing." Dante replied, knowing it was useless. Scorpius had had enough. He slammed Dante against a nearby wall, knocking his wand out of his hand. Scorpius pointed his own wand at Dante's throat.

"You're going to tell me what you mean, and you're going to tell me _now_!" Scorpius said, pushing the wand into Dante's skin.

*

**Part 3: Dante's Tale**

Dante was shoved roughly into Rose's private ward. Rose looked up, shocked as Scorpius pushed him into a chair, cast a locking charm on the door and cast _muffliato _at the crib so she wouldn't wake up and then at the door, so nobody would hear. He then bound Dante to the chair, where he struggled. Scorpius then summoned a small vial of clear liquid. Rose climbed out of bed, shouting protests.

"Scorpius Malfoy, what _are_ you doing?!" She screeched. Scorpius held Dante's mouth open and poured a drop into the man's mouth.

"_Scorpius!_" Rose protested. Scorpius turned to her as Dante's face went blank.

"Rose he's been lying to us, he wasn't a bit surprised that the baby was mine!" He objected. She fell silent and came to stand beside her husband dressed in a short hospital nightgown. She magicked two other chairs and plopped down into one, crossing her arms and legs.

"Tell us everything!" Scorpius barked at Dante. Dante cleared his throat, his expression vacant.

"I loved Rose in seventh year, just like Scorpius" He began, speaking as if to someone else, describing it as a story.

"-but she did not love me in return, instead she loved Scorpius" He said.

Rose frowned, confused. She only remembered loving Dante in seventh year.

"So, I'm sorry to say that, in a fit of rage and jealousy, I erased her feelings for Scorpius, she will not remember having them in seventh year, just a burning passion for me. It took a while to erase the deep love she had for him, but I did it, and then I began slipping her love potions in her pumpkin juice every day, just a small enough dosage that she would think about me as much as she used to think about Scorpius." He said. Rose looked horrified and nauseated; Scorpius was livid.

"Eventually Rose began to suspect me, and she came to my room in the Slytherin Common Room one night when I skipped dinner. She started to confront me, and Scorpius was listening from his bed – he too had skipped dinner. Rose told me her suspicions and I waved them away. She turned to leave and I stupefied her and levitated her into my bed." He continued. He was about to say more, but Rose clapped a hand to her mouth.

"You sick bastard, you _raped_ me?!" She choked, aghast. Scorpius looked practically fuming at this. Dante shook his head vigorously.

"Rose undressed herself when she awoke, I think I gave her too much love potion whilst she was unconscious, and she climbed into bed with me. She fell asleep though before anything could happen, drowsiness is a side-effect of too much Amortentia." He said. Rose breathed a slow sigh of relief.

"Before she woke the next morning, I obliviated her memories of the night before and replaced them with graphic memories of what could have happened that night, what Rose believes _did_ happen. " He said in the same slow monotone. Rose looked at Scorpius, shaking with fury.

"I modified Scorpius' memory so he thought he heard everything that Rose thought happened." He added.

"Now that you both realise what happened, the charms will have worn off. You will know exactly what happened, and the way you felt about each other before I played with your minds. You loved each other since you were eleven years old, I couldn't compete with that, so I pretended I could." He said in the same dull colourless tenor.

"Then, months later when we left Hogwarts I invited Rose out; again I couldn't help myself and slipped her another love potion. Again, I slipped her too much and she passed out in my bed before anything could happen. Yet again, I modified her memory so she believed she was pregnant with my child, I was about to cast a morphing charm on her stomach to make it swell, but to my shock, I found it already slightly swelled – Rose was pregnant before I took her out." He said. Scorpius looked at Rose, his mouth hanging open in a dumbstruck expression.

"There was never any chance of you being the father…" He said in a small voice. Rose however, was ahead of him.

"What about the test results?" She asked sharply. "The ones claiming Scorpius couldn't conceive?"

"I cast a disillusionment charm on myself and crept into St Mungos. I switched the test results for another mans. Healer Murphy just told Scorpius what the test results said. Nobody bothered to double check them." He answered. Scorpius looked at Rose, his eyes twinkling.

"I'm not…I can…it wasn't…" Was all he was able to splutter. Rose nodded mutely, absolutely stricken with ecstatic happiness and also the feeling of severe violation at the same time. She didn't know which emotion was stronger.

"You _bastard_!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, glad for the muting charms. "How _dare_ you fuck with my mind and leave me confused! How could you!?! **WE WERE FRIENDS**!" She bellowed, standing up, her chair toppling over. Scorpius stood to restrain her but before he could stand she waved her wand in the air in a slashing movement and Dante, free of the invisible ropes which bound him, flew off the chair and hit the wall with a sickening crack. She then waved her wand in complicated flicks several times and pimples appeared all over Dante's face, neck and arms, blue steam shot from his ears. Rose continued to assault his unconscious form for a second longer before Scorpius stood and physically ripped her wand from her furious hands. Rose stumbled back and fell onto her hospital bed, shaking with tears. Scorpius crossed the room and with both Rose's wand and his own, he fixed Dante's two broken ribs. He then waved his wand once over his unconscious body and he woke with a start, blinking in the bright light. Scorpius' livid face was the first thing he saw before he was dragged to his feet. Scorpius had undone Rose's curses and the Veritaserum seemed to have worn off.

"What-?" Was all he was all he was able to say before Scorpius, still looking furious, punched him squarely in the stomach. Dante crumpled to the floor and Scorpius towered over him.

"Dante Zabini" He thundered, clutching two wands in his hand and pointing them both down at him. "Never darken our doorstep again." Scorpius ordered, his heart beating loudly in his ears. He then took the charms off the room as Dante crawled from the room, never to be seen by either Malfoy again.

*

_(1 Week later)_

"Come _on_ Scorpius" Rose said huffily, but smiling all the same at her husband's snail-pace. She had finally been 'released' from hospital after her complicated birth and the pair were walking to the top of a hill near the hospital, to find a Portkey which would take them home. This was probably better than apparition, as Rose didn't want to put any danger of splinching Celina. The baby herself was tucked in her father's arms as they climbed the steep hill. Rose was a few feet away, levitating the presents her family and friends had left them, in front of her under a disillusionment charm and she was shaking with silent laughter at her husband muttering what sounded like a made-up language to their daughter.

"Oosa pretty babeeeey?" He cooed behind her. Rose clutched her sides in an effort to stop them aching with hysterics.

"Oi Rose, what do you think you're laughing at?" He asked, sounding a mixture of stung and amused.

"You" She gasped. "Muttering…nonsense to her" She hiccoughed, giggling. She sat down on a nearby rock and wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes. Scorpius frowned but smiled after a minute, swooping to kiss her.

"Come on, or we'll miss it" He said, pulling her to her feet. They trudged up the hill, Scorpius lighting the way because of the setting sun, and Rose levitating their gifts. They reached the hill in moments and searched for the Portkey arranged for them, which happened to be an old picnic basket. They each touched the basket, Rose helping Celina grab it in her little fist, gurgling with pleasure. Rose smiled at her pleasure, glanced around once, and then felt the familiar jerk behind her navel that accompanied travelling in this way. Their feet found the familiar ground outside their cottage on the outskirts of Hogsmeade and they trudged through the small garden, overflowing with flowers and into the cottage itself. The pair tramped up the stairs, Celina in Scorpius' arms again. They opened the door to the room they had hoped would be her nursery, but had never got around to decorating and furnishing and stopped in shock.

"Oh…My…God!" Rose squealed. Celina squealed too, but probably not for the same reason. The room, which was usually a beige colour and empty, was pale baby pink. In the corner sat a pink toy bear the size of a horse, surrounded by other toys. A small wardrobe stood majestically in another corner, and in the centre of the room, sat a pink cot with lace draped across the top artistically. A large rocking chair was in another corner, beside a small bookcase full of children's stories. They approached the cradle in surprised silence and pulled back the pink lace. Lying in it was a small folded note. Scorpius reached for it with one hand, shifting Celina to his other hand. He read aloud:

"Dear Rose & Scorpius

Congratulations, and SURPIRSE! Hope you like the colour scheme – courtesy of Lily, Mum, Astoria and auntie Ginny. The rocking chair is from Harry and Ginny, and the bookcase is from James. Obviously, all the books are from Mum!

The cradle was made (actually _made_) by Draco and the lace and quilt were made by Astoria, the big bear in the corner is from Victoire and Teddy (a teddy bear from Teddy, geddit?), and the little ones around it are from me, James, Albus, Dom and Louis. The wardrobe is from Mum and Dad and the clothes are from everyone. I decided I would give little Celina something she could practice on so she could grow up to be a Quidditch player like her Uncle Hugo ( God that sounds weird) Anyway, the toy broom is in the wardrobe, for when you think she's old enough! It only goes about a foot in the air, Rosie, don't worry.

Lots of love, Hugo."

Scorpius stopped reading and smiled, Rose was beaming as she took Celina from her husband and let the baby look around the room.

"Do you like it Celina?" She asked in a soft voice, gazing down at her beautiful little girl, cradling her to her chest. Scorpius stroked her cheek lovingly as Rose set her down in the cot. Scorpius wandered over to sit in the rocking chair and rocked back and forward gently. Rose however, stood over her daughters' cot and began to sing quietly a lullaby.

Scorpius closed his eyes and relaxed while listening to his wife's pretty voice. She stopped once she heard the gentle snuffling sounds that all babies made while sleeping and padded over to Scorpius. She stroked the strands of hair off his forehead and his eyes opened. He smiled at her with kind eyes and patted his lap. She sat on his carefully and lay with him. He kissed up and down her neck and then on her cheek. She turned to him and he brushed her lips with his.

"I love you Rose." He said, his eyes wide and his mouth pulled up into a half smile. It was a vulnerable thing for a Malfoy to say so openly without embarrassment and Rose kissed him lightly, her arms around his neck.

"Forever?" She said. She was trying to make it sound teasing, but Scorpius heard the real curiosity behind the façade. Maybe he was the only one who knew the real Rose – knew she was tough as nails, but needed re-assurance like every other person.

"Forever and always" He replied, smiling. She kissed him again, with passion and he sighed. He was truly the happiest man on Earth in that moment.

**A/N I hope I haven't deceived you into thinking this is the end – It isn't, there is still one more chapter which will be looking at them Three Years Later :) I am also toying with the idea of a sequel after that. Tell me what you think in any case, hope you enjoyed it :D**

**Mucho Amor**

**-Sarita x**


	13. Epilogue One Year Later

Okay, final chapter of this fic *_wipes away a tear_* I would like to thank those who have stuck with me since the beginning, and through the times when I thought I'd given up on this story. These is dedicated to you all, please review with your thoughts, comments and please, please answer my questions at the bottom, not to sound melodramatic but everything depends on _**YOU**_. :) Btw I know I said it would be set three years later but I thought that wouldn't work with some of the potential plot ideas for a _**possible sequel**_ I have planned out.

Enjoy, and thank you x

**Epilogue: One Year Later.**

Rose set down the dish she was magically washing onto the side boarding and glanced around her shoulder at Celina. The baby girl was playing with the huge pink bear she had received from Teddy and Victoire Lupin almost exactly a year previously. Her hair was curly, shoulder-length and platinum blonde, into which Rose had placed a purple ribbon which matched the indigo dress she was wearing. The little ringlets of her fringe kept falling into her ocean blue eyes, which annoyed the little girl no end. She caught her mother smiling down at her and stared up at her, trying to smile and baring her little teeth. She gurgled and the 19-year-old Rose turned back around to watch the washing up. She glanced above her head to a clock very similar to the one her Grandmother Weasley possessed. Instead of telling the time, it told of the whereabouts of each of her little family member and had been _very_ hard to get hold of.

"Daddy'll be home soon, Cee" Rose said in a sing-song voice, referring to Scorpius Malfoy's clock hand, which pointed in between "work" (which was now Co-Head of Magical Games and Sports) and "home". The baby gurgled.

"Daddeeeeeey!" She squealed delighted.

"That's right!" Rose beamed, stroking her once-again swelled stomach. She was 3 months pregnant again. To Rose it seemed that half her life had been taken up by pregnancy, not that she was complaining. Little Celina had made her and Scorpius so happy, as had the news of the new baby. Suddenly there was a crunching of gravel on the path in the garden outside and Rose rushed towards the front door. Scorpius's clock hand now pointed to 'home'.

"DADDEEEEEY!" Celina screamed as the door opened and Scropius' boyish smiling face appeared around the door.

"Where's my little girly?!" Scorpius boomed, stepping into the cottage. Celina pointed at her dad and squealed loudly, she dropped her hands and began pulling at her toes.

"There she is!" He said stooping and picking up Celina. She giggled insanely and as Scorpius held her above his head, she grabbed a hank of his hair and pulled hard, laughing. Rose cracked up watching the little girl trying to scalp her father.

"OW! Don't do that to Daddy, honey" He said bringing her to his eye level and gazing into the blue eyes that so reminded him of his wife. Celina responded by poking him in the eye.

"OW!" He yelped, his eyes watering. He kept one eye shut as he talked to her.

"Do you have a passion for hurting Daddy?" He laughed good-naturedly. Rose's heart swelled and he passed Celina to her and collapsed on the sofa, running a hand through his already windswept hair.

"Come on Missy, time for bed I think" She said poking her daughter in the stomach softly and tickling her gently. The little girl giggled.

"Mummeeeey!" She commanded in a bossy voice, making Rose feel as if she was being told off and pleaded with at the same time.

"No way Cee, you're already way past your bedtime" Rose laughed, carrying her upstairs and plopping her into her cot where she sat, gurgling contentedly and bashed the toy phoenix she had received from Astoria and Draco nearly a year ago against the bars of her crib. Rose sat in the rocking chair and closed her eyes. Celina's bashings receded to a half-hearted tug at the bars- she loved trying to destroy her cot. Soon enough the little girl's noises and gurgling were reduced to the sounds of baby snores. Something soft rubbed against Rose's legs and she opened her eyes and looked down to see their new cat, Apollo.

"Hello you" She said patting her lap wearily. The nearly fully-grown cat jumped willingly into Rose's lap and curled into a ball, his head resting against her bump. Rose, completely worn out, began to doze off in the chair. She awoke in what seemed like minutes and realised that she was in bed. It was dark and where Scorpius should lie, there was an empty warm space which he'd left when he had gotten up to see to Celina. Apollo must have come back to see Rose, for he had come to find her and was now lay on her baby bump, as if guarding it. She scratched behind the grey-tabby cat's ears gently. She had just closed her eyes again when Scorpius padded across the room and climbed back into bed. He snuggled close to her and stroked the hair out of her eyes, like he always did when he was watching her sleep. Her eyes snapped open and she stared up at him in the dark, knowing he was watching her too. His lips brushed against hers lovingly and she pulled him down so he lay down fully, facing her in the darkness. He stroked the hair out of her way and cupped her cheek.

"You'll always be my number one girl, you know" He whispered into the gloom.

"And you'll always be my number one man." She said, before she snuggled deeper, laying against his bare chest. They fell asleep in each other's arms that night, just like every other night, but did so reluctantly because they both knew in their heart of hearts, that their waking lives were now far better than that of the dreaming.

**The End.**

…**Or is it?...**

Thanks for reading, please review with the answers to these questions:

What did you think of the story as a whole?

What was something you think I did well?

What is something I could improve on?

Was there enough romance, plot and character definition in the story?

Should I write a sequel?

Thank you for your time, dedication and support.

Love, as always,

- Sarita x


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